Haresfinch 8 Blackpool Stanley 18 FINCH were almost unrecognisable from the team that had triumphed 34-nil at Blackpool earlier in the season.

Having beaten the seasiders in their previous five encounters, the homesters had every reason for confidence and opened the scoring when stand-off Anthony Seabrook sent centre Eddie Tinsley on a block-busting 50-yard run to the line.

From then on, however - despite the efforts of second-row Damian Clitheroe and scrum-half Neil Pook - it was all downhill for Finch as the well-organised visitors, who came into this game on the back of five wins out of six, took control.

A converted try gave Blackpool a 6-4 half-time lead and with veteran scrum-half Neil Fox calling the shots, they had Finch on the back foot for much of the second half.

The home defence, though, with Karl Farrall, Shaun Kilgannon and Stuart Simmons tackling well, held firm until late in the game when two more converted tries clinched victory for the visitors.

Finch grabbed a consolation try when Franco's Wholesale Ltd. man-of-the-match Tinsley repeated his earlier 50-yard solo effort, but it was too little, too late.

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