Blackpool Scorpions 12 Ashton 10 ASHTON gave the Scorpions their toughest game of the season so far, which belied their lowly league position.

It was the visitors who settled into their rhythm straight away and they deservedly took the lead after 12 minutes with an unconverted try.

In the wet conditions the Scorpions were having troubling hanging onto the ball whereas their opponents looked dangerous every time they were in possession.

It took them half an hour to settle down and then Daron Green went on a barnstorming run and forced his way over. Craig Campbell converted to give the Scorpions a 6-4 lead.

A minute before the break the Scorpions tried to run the ball from their own line when it would have been better to use their forwards to just drive the ball upfield to play the time out. They spilled the ball and from the resulting scrum Ashton scored under the posts. The conversion was successful giving them a 10-6 lead at half-time. The second half was nip and tuck for a while with both defences working hard but as the game entered the last quarter the Scorpions were looking the stronger.

Dave Tanner put up a 'bomb' on the last tackle and the Ashton centre fumbled it, Luke Valente swooped on the loose ball and dived over the line for his first try of the season which levelled the scores at 10-all. Campbell's conversion just sailed wide.

With five minutes to go, the Scorpions forwards drove the ball towards the posts and the ball was laid back to Chris Pearson who coolly dropped a goal.

On the Scorpions next set of tackles they did exactly the same and Pearson dropped another goal to give the Scorpions a rather fortunate victory.