THIS is surely Winnington Park’s most eye-catching result to date.

They completed a league double over promotion-chasing opponents at Burrows Hill and remain the only team to prevent Dale from scoring a try this season.

Matt Farr’s men troubled the scorers first when Cameron Flanagan converted a penalty awarded for offside.

The visitors restored parity though with a three-pointer of their own after the home team infringed at the ruck and repeated the feat shortly afterwards when a Park player strayed offside.

Winnington’s lighter pack held their own, and Harry Stubbs drove to the line to score a try after a Dale man had been shown a yellow card for holding on at a maul.

Two further penalty-kicks, both of them successful, left Park 12-8 adrift by the break.

And another followed the interval too.

Park rallied though, and they were awarded a penalty-try by the referee after he judged Rochdale intentionally wheeled the scrum.

With parity on the scoreboard restored, the hosts suffered a blow when skipper Dave Cross succumbed to a knee injury.

Both defences remained resolute under pressure until a powerful Winnington maul forced the visitors to retreat behind their own line before Danny Williams dotted down.

It proved a decisive moment despite the blustery conditions thwarting a successful conversion.

Dale, victors in their 11 previous matches in all competitions and who had nilled their opponents in four of the past five, camped close to Park’s line during the closing stages.

However they were kept out, and a knock-on was followed by cheers and the final whistle.

Farr said: “Every single player gave their all but our front-row forwards stood out with their work at the scrum.”

His side is sixth in Lancs/Cheshire One ahead of a trip to Leigh next weekend.

Park | Underdown, Evans, Snowden, Dave Cross, Hallworth, Dykes, Treacy, Stubbs, Matt Cross, Flanagan, Ryan Williams, Houghton, Moran, Allmark, Danny Williams Replacements Jack Williams, Glendinning, Twigg Tries Stubbs, Danny Williams Pen Flanagan