THREE tries in the opening eight minutes sentenced Lancaster to another heavy defeat in their debut season in the rugby league Conference on Saturday.

A 58-8 hammering at Chester Wolves was not what the Giant Axe men wanted after running the promotion hopefuls close earlier in the summer.

But after a brief flurry - led by Liam Hall and Dave McVernon - reduced the early deficit to 14-4, it was one-way traffic for the Wolves.

It was 36-4 to Chester by half time and Chester took their foot off the pedal enough for a spirited fightback from Lancaster to have some effect - a try from Andrew Raines adding another four points for Lancaster at the end of a sustained spell of attacking.

Lancaster: Raines, Pike, Humphries, Hodson, Pearce, Walker, Garnett, Hall, Mills, Harvey, Shaw, McVernon, Evans, Ferguson, Winder, Cochrane, Birkett

* This Saturday Lancaster take on Liverpool Buccaneers at Lancaster University in the last home game of the regular season. Kick off is at 2.30pm.