Latchford Albion 36 - Heysham Atoms 14

Tries: Andy Helme, Bryan Cambidge
Goals: Neil Walker (3)

THE HEYSHAM Atoms are still struggling to find the form that will bring them their first league victory of the season.
Their trip to Warrington proved fruitless in regard to league points, but the signs are there that an improvement is not too far away.
A good first half performance showed lots of promise and they were unlucky to turn round at half-time 14-8 down.
The Warrington outfit benefited from an awkward bounce that was misjudged by the Atoms' defenders that took them into a 6-0 lead with less than 10 minutes played.
Conceding early scores has been a trademark of the Atoms' season so far and although harsh on the Atoms, this is an area where they must try and improve.
Latchford possess a big pack that are always up for the challenge and during the first period the Atoms' forwards gave as good as they got.
Chris Connaughton and fellow newcomer Shaun Humphries are starting to adapt to the pace of the game and were eager for work in the early exchanges.
The Atoms were completing their sets well but they tended to let Latchford off the hook as the chase wasn't as enthusiastic as it might have been. Latchford's fullback was keen to counter attack if there was the slightest opening.
Latchford's second try can only be attributed to poor defence, which was a shame as the Atoms had worked really hard in this department. Latchford's stand-off had a habit of running across the face of the Atoms' defenders.
Previously he had been marshalled well but he spotted a gap that had not been filled in sufficiently. He drew the full-back and fired out a neat pass to his supporting player. The conversion was good closely followed by a penalty giving Latchford a comfortable lead.
The Atoms were playing well without any reward and although ball control and completion rates were good, they found it hard to sustain any kind of pressure on Latchford's line.
The break they needed came with 30 minutes played on the clock. A Latchford attack down the Atoms' left was halted when the ball was spilled in the tackle.
Centre Bryan Cambidge reacted the quickest picking up the ball, setting off on a 40 metre charge into Latchford's territory.
Lewis Mills continued the move getting past the next line of defenders and offloading in the tackle to loose-forward Alex Batson. He was brought down with the line in sight but had the sense of mind to play the ball quickly.
Andy Helme was in the acting half-back role and squeezed over the line when a dummy pass was taken by Latchford's defenders. Walker converted to add to his earlier penalty.
The competitive 40 minutes had taken its toll and Rob Shaw limped out of the game to be replaced by Lee Harvey. His opportunities have been limited so far this season but he gave the coach a little nudge with a committed display.
Mark Allan, playing out of the position on the left wing, also put his case forward for a move closer to the action with a no-nonsense display.
Cambidge and the newly-re-signed Andy Garnet looked the most dangerous Atoms' attackers but they were often starved of possession during a poor second half. Too much ball was 'coughed up' and some glaring errors in defence undid all the hard work of the first half.
Latchford now had the ability to force the error and convert this turn over in to points which just sapped the Atoms confidence with every point.
Hartlebury and Aldren worked hard defensively to stem the tide but the decisive breaks all belonged to Latchford.
Further problems were encountered for the Atoms when stand-in winger Mike Holmes came in-field looking for work. He dislocated his shoulder in a tackle having to be replaced by Russell Birkitt.
The highlight of a one-sided second half was an individual score from the Atoms' 'man of steel' Bryan Cambidge. A penalty on halfway was awarded and two quick drives from Aldren and Batson put the Atoms within 30 yards of Latchford's line.
Cambidge charged onto the next drive handing-off the first would-be tackler before skirting round the full-back to place the ball down in the corner for an excellent score. Walker converted from the side-line.
This score boosted the Heysham side and they worked hard to chase this lost cause in the final 10 minutes. Latchford had the final word scoring close to the sticks giving the kicker an easy final conversion.

ATOMS: Walker, Holmes, Garnett, Cambidge, Allan, Mills, Helme, Connaughton, Hartlebury, Aldren, Humphries, Shaw, Batson. Reserves: Hall, Harvey, Birkitt, Pyrah.