WITH Southport as league winners elect they could have been forgiven for switching off for the last game of the league campaign.

However, this was not the case and they were involved in one of the most enjoyable and competitive matches of the season.

Both teams looked to play fast open rugby, with the backs all getting to show their pace.

The fast and furious nature of the game led to the inevitable errors but also saw some good quick handling moves and it took some great defensive tackles across the whole field and by all the Southport players to thwart the Waterloo attacks.

The first score of the game came from a penalty awarded to Southport from in front of the posts, James Bailey kicking the points.

Waterloo fought back and following a period of sustained pressure broke the Southport defence to score a try and take a first-half lead 5-3.

The second-half kicked-off much the same as the first had finished, with both teams looking to run the ball from anywhere, and as the half progressed both teams were very much at stalemate, the backs becoming more tired and unable to break their opponents’ defence.

But Southport were able to force another penalty that they wisely kicked to lead 6-5.

With time running out Waterloo kicked the ball from their own try line, only for it to be caught and returned with interest by Oli Roberts at full-back, whose speed took him round and through a number of the opposition to offload the ball to Callum MacNeil, who ran it in at corner. Although the conversion was missed, with only time for one more play, Southport cleared the ball to touch and the party began.

Southport scorers: Try: Macneil 1 Penalties: Roberts 1, Bailey 1

Southport: Roberts, B Creswell, Lloyd, Bailey, Hilliker, Greenhalgh, Critchley, Arslanian, Reantus, Smallwood, Unsworth, Green, Tarbuck, D Creswell, Cross, MacNeil, Berry, Gelling.