Haresfinch ( St.Helens ) 28 points

VS

Heysham Atoms 14 points

The Atoms slumped to their seventh defeat in eight games after a flat performance against the rejuvinated St.Helens outfit Haresfinch.  While the Atoms have been misfiring Haresfinch have been knocking over the top two sides in the league - Leigh Miners and Parkside - in the past five weeks, something that no other team has been able to do this season.  At the moment the Atoms seem unable to start games with any sort of conviction and again on Saturday they surrendered easy points to give their opponents a head start before they were able to spark up and play the game they had trained to do - which is frustrating for all involved.

The tone was set straight from the kick off when an excellent high kick  from Neil Walker was fielded in-goal by a Haresfinch player who got through a weak Atoms challenge and made a 20 yard gain on his first touch, turning the coach's hair grey in an instant.  The Atoms were  light weight in the forwards with Hall, Ginnocchio, Shaw and Harvey all unavailiable thus their go forward suffered in the early stages.  The Atoms were a bit too predictable when in possesion sending up too many one out drives which was meat and drink to a big, physical set of Haresfinch forwards who lapped up the collision without having to move too far.  Andrew Taylor was starting his second game of the season in the centre, due to Mike Holmes unavailibility, showing an appetite for the ball in the early stages that tried to get his side moving in the right direction.  The Atoms waisted good field position with an unecessary handling error after a powerful Callum Hall drive at Haresfinch's line.  A penalty further retreated the Atoms defenders until they were camped on their own line after conceeding 90 meters in 3 plays.  A Haresfinch try had an air of inevitability about it as they squeezed in around the play the ball area.

The Atoms defensive pattern was all at sea for the second try as the ball was transfered with relative ease from one side of the field to the other finding an easy overlap and touching down in the left corner.  The third try came in similar fashion as the confidence in the team was leaving them at an alarming rate. With 30 minutes played and 14 nil down on the scoreboard the Atoms were further hampered when Centre Stuart Lacey limped out of the contest.  This was a blow as the bench was packed with forwards and he had been one who looked like he was up for the challenge.  No more points were conceeded up to the break which couldnt come soon enough for the Atoms coaches who had chance to patch a few things up.  What was most dissapointing about the first, unforgettable 40 minutes was that an ordinary Haresfinch side hadn't had to work too hard for their lead.

A improvement was demanded as a minimum and thankfully achieved in the second half.  The Atoms played with more structure and an increased tempo that suited them and not the opposition.  Mark Walker took on the role of leading by example making good quick yards off the back of the scrums.  As the pace of the game increased so Mike Marrin at hooker came more into the game darting around the rucks.  Haresfinch now looked a different side having to back-peddal and having to defend their own line.  There was far more purpose and energy in the Atoms attacks now and this provided some extra space outwide.  Veterens Helme and Livingstone worked an opening down the left centre channel with the latter hitting a great hole and able to get his arms free in the tackle.  He off-loaded in the tackle to winger Jake Harrison who not for the first time this season finished at the corner flag for his fifth try in 9 appearences.  The Heysham side went straight on the attack and got back to the right end of the field.  A kick on the last was fielded behind the line by Harefinch's quick thinking fullback.  He took the ball to the 20 tap and opened up a massive gap through a retreating Atoms defence.  Good support took them all the way to Heysham's 20 metre line.  Haresfinch had the edge in numbers and powered over the line for their 4th. try. 

The Atoms didn't let their heads drop as they had in the first half and maintained thier improvement.  The Atoms benefited from better ball control that kept them in the right areas.  Mike Marrin went close before Mark Walker smashed his way over from close range and Billy Livingstone converted.  If the Atoms were guilty of anything in the second half it was not concentrating hard enough once they had scored.  Haresfinch hit back all most immediatly through there big prop forward powering over the line. 

Dave Mcvernon came back on for his second spell midway through the second half and made some serious inroads in the St Helens defence.  He finally got over the line for his first try of the season after a subtle change of tactics brought him on a short ball when perhaps everyone thought the ball was going wide.  The conversion hit the upright but the Atoms were within 2 scores at 24 . 14.  Callum Hall and Jake Harrison both got into space but the final pass hit the floor and any thoughts of an unlikely win were finally gone.  16 year old Antony Livingstone came on for the final 10 minutes to join dad Pete and brother Billy in his debut at senior level.  Fittingly Haresfinch had the last say scoring on the last play of the game scoring by the left hand corner flag.

On Saturday Atoms stand off Neil Walker made his 100th. appearence in Atoms colours.  He has now established himself as a regular into the senior side and although a couple of seasons have been wiped out compleatly through injury he has registered 3 tries, 51 goals, and 15 drop goals in his 8 seasons so far.

Next Saturday the Atoms have a massivly important home league game against Blackpool Stanley at the Trimpell ground kick off 2.30pm all welcome.

Atoms: B.Livingstone,J.Harrison,A. Taylor,S.Lacey,M.Pike,N. Walker,K.Hartlebury,D. McVernon,M.Marrin,D.Scanlon,P. Livingstone,C.Hall,M.Walker. Res: A.Helme,A.Livingstone,S.Weed, C.Helme.