1 James Hesketh Lancaster Lets
2 Andy Powers Bay Travel
3 Paul McLaren-Dorrington Fat Lads United
4 Jack McIntosh Trevolutions Ltd.
5 Sam Wallbank Lancaster Lets
6 Jack Aryton SJB Tiling Ltd
7 Ben Dorrington Allan Entwistle (Enty)
8 Alex Baines George Dickson
9 Billy Swarbrick M&B Nisbett
10 Charlie Lomas J Balshaw Carpets
11 Oliver Dobson FBS Financial Solutions
12 Neil Walker Ron Higgin
13 Ian Bird Adam Foxcroft. Roofing
14 James Birchall Duncan Hall Financial Services
15 Chris Weeks Morecambe Bay Properties
16 Matt Field Ground Crew/Alies
17 Matthew Humpage
18 Jamie Antcliffe

Vale of Lune were eager to end a disappointing run of defeats but taking on North One West leaders, Birkenhead Park, in their own back yard, the hosts being undefeated at The Upper Park, was always a daunting prospect, and so it proved to be as the visitors suffered their heaviest league defeat since April 2010 when they were blitzed at Burnage, 53-21.

There was a more familiar look to the Vale side compared with the young one they fielded against Eccles but even so some last minute adjustments were required from the original selected line up. Unfortunately on the day Birkenhead Park carried too much fire power in the pack, five of their eight tries being posted by the forwards, but the loss means that the Vale have now suffered four straight defeats and to ease any worries the slide needs to be halted before they find themselves tangled up in a dog fight to preserve their status in North One West.

Meanwhile Birkenhead Park appear on course for either, outright promotion or a play off spot; they have certainly made their home base a fortress and appear well equipped to maintain this situation, but off course the season has still a long way to go and few injuries can seriously jeopardise hopes and ambitions.

Straight from the kick off Birkenhead stamped their authority on the game and within a minute they had the lights on the electronic scoreboard flashing with a try that was fashioned from a blueprint that was to become all to familiar to a beleaguered Vale side. Wing forward Dave Ibbotson went over after nifty work by his comrades in arms. Full back Dave Hall put over the conversion as he did for a try from flanker Rob Doolan in the fifth minute after the forwards had cranked up the volume inside Vale's twenty two.

There was no hiding place for the Vale who struggled to cope with unrelenting harassment and in the twelfth minute a forward drive resulted in another try for Rob Doolan, converted by Dave Hall. There was a brief fourteen minute break in hostilities but even so the Vale could not push Park out of harms way. In the twenty sixth minute the try bonus standard was reached when winger Matt Walls swept over after he had chased down an accurate cross kick, Dave Hall's conversion hit an upright but failed to go over; still a point a minute was not a bad return for the home side's supporters to reflect on.

There was still plenty of time remaining for Park to grab two more tries. Left wing Dave Morgan dived over between the uprights in the thirty first minute and six minutes later yet another score originated at a line out to provide Ibbotson with his second try, both converted by Dave Hall to end a rather one sided half.

Although Park made all the early running at the start of the second half the Vale took the sting out their attacks and started to put together some promising moves. It had been a gruelling first half for the visitors and they faced a daunting task if they were salvage anything but they approached the second forty with renewed vigour, passion and commitment. They endeavoured to impose themselves and did not give up chasing a lost cause.

In the fifty first minute their efforts were rewarded with a try after full back Chris Weeks glided into Park territory from his own half, centre Ian Bird crashed through tackles, the ball was recycled, space was created for Jack Aryton to score, Charlie Lomas put over the conversion.

It was too early to raise any glasses because three minutes later Park's forwards rumbled uncompromisingly towards Vale's line, lock forward, Jack Ashcroft completed a rewarding afternoon in the boiler room with a try converted by Dave Hall.

The second half developed into a more evenly matched joust than the first, at least as far as the Vale were concerned, and in the sixty second minute they double their score. Paradoxically the Vale took a leaf out Park's technical manual by instigating a forward drive that was concluded by skipper Sam Wallbank, whose head never dropped in a testing game, with a much deserved try converted by Charlie Lomas.

However, Park's eight naturally had the last shout when they provided the perfect platform for replacement Elliott Madgin to scoot over on the blind side for an unconverted try.

For the Vale there is plenty of fat to chew over before they entertain Wilmslow on Saturday, they can find some brief consolation from the fact they "won" the second half 14-12, plus Andy Powers played his first game since picking up an injury in November 2013 and that their other injured players and those who were unavailable over the holiday period, are now back in the frame because some important fixtures are looming, both at The Lane and further afield.