With the Vale of Lune's first team having a break from North One West action the second team took centre stage on a sunny spring like afternoon at Powderhouse Lane in what turned out to be a hugely entertaining Conference B game, warts and all. At one stage a dominant Vale side had established a 38-0 lead in the opening minute of the second half but to the frustration of their loyal band of supporters and team manager Tony Gilmour they eased off the gas and allowed Birkenhead Park, who never gave up the fight and showed tremendous spirit, back into the game.

In the end the points difference proved to be a bridge too far the visitors but they had the satisfaction of "winning" the second half 22-12. There was an audible sight of relief around The Lane when debutant winger, Brad Goss, crossed for an unconverted try with eight minutes remaining to extinguish Park's hopes of causing a major upset, although prior to referee Ralston blowing the final whistle, the Vale were pinned back deep in their twenty two.

The previous week the Vale had been forced to travel to Rochdale with a patchwork quilt comprising a bare sixteen players and when injuries reduced them to thirteen defeat was inevitable. However, the squad named to face Park contained many familiar names, all playing in their rightful positions.

There was a pair of rumbustious props, Joe Stevens and Richard Clarke, an uncompromising lock, Jack McIntosh, plus two effective clinical back rowers, the ever improving Tom Cvijanovic and the peerless Danny Lin. In the backs Oli Dodson buzzed to good effect, Neil Walker directed operations, Tom Crookall, in his familiar Bruce Willis mode, was never far from the thick of the action, Jamie Antcliffe was full of confidence, while Sean Coulshed was an elusive brave runner throughout. Alistair Richards, with a brace of tries, was back to his dancing, pacey elusive self after a few indifferent outings, following his return from Germany.

Both sides began on a positive note, the battle plans were drawn up, the Vale moved the ball crossfield in the early exchanges, Park adopted a forward linear approach and in the tenth minute pressed the Vale close to their line with a series of drives but the hosts held firm.

After an uncomfortable few minutes the Vale responded with a thrilling score involving a thundering run from Stevens, a surge from Antcliffe before Richards went streaking over for a twelfth minute try converted by Walker.

Three minutes later, value for money Vale, doubled their lead with another well coordinated attack, Crookall thrust powerfully through tackles in the build up and when the move reached Park's line the alert Lin wormed his way under the radar for a try, again converted by Walker.

A dominant Vale were in control in all areas and they ended the first quarter with a second try from Richards who was put into space to sprint away. In the twenty seventh minute Coulshed's try came at the end of a well balanced run from the full back after Richards had made a searing break and Antcliffe delivered the perfect pass to the number fifteen.

The Vale were far from finished and they posted their final try of the half in the thirty fifth minute when Antcliffe embarked on a solo run, cutting back against the grain for a try brimming with self belief, after another weaving run from Richards had wrong footed Park before Antcliffe cut loose; Walker added the conversion.

Further misery was heaped on Park at the beginning of the second half when Vale's pack pounded them relentlessly, when the ball was moved wide Crookall almost made it to the line, the ball was recycled to Joe Wallbank flung himself over the line, Walker converted from in front.

Suddenly, as if a tap had been turned off, the Vale's enterprise dried up, Park sensed a drop in intensity and in the fifty first minute they broke their duck with a well worked move from a line out on the left that ended with an unconverted try wide on the right.

Suddenly Park were marching to a different beat and in the fifty sixth minute their pack splintered Vale's defenders for another unconverted try. A deficit of twenty eight points was a massive margin to claw back but Park's new found resolve was an increasing cause for concern as the Vale appeared to have lost the collective plot.

With Crookall on the naughty step Park took advantage to exploit the situation in the centre by running in a converted try in the sixty fourth minute. With the Vale in coasting mode, Park continued to make merry, and in the sixty ninth minute they caught the Vale cold and static with a simply constructed unconverted try wide on the right.

As the game moved into the closing ten minutes the Vale roused themselves from their slumbers. Park were pushed back deep into their own half, the pressure began to mount, the irrepressible Antcliffe cut a swathe through Park's defensive net work before Goss broke clear for the neatest of tries in the seventy second minute.

For the Vale a half century appeared to be within their grasp. They began to flourish again, Cvijanovic, Crookall and Clarke started to power forward, but Park responded with a number of driving mauls, one of them broken up by McIntosh with a high stepping run out of defence. A late rally from Park tested the Vale's defence in injury time but at this stage the cruise control had thankfully been disabled and all the gaps effectively plugged much to relief of the hosts hard working skipper Dan Rainford.

The lads were certainly walking tall after the game resplendent in their new, smart, crisp, eye-catching, sponsored white shirts, and celebrating their victory as shafts of late sunshine illuminated the veranda.