THEY lost, but Capenhurst should have had this game in the bag.

Leading the scoring for 70 minutes, they succumbed after prop Neil Ankers was sin-binned for handling on the floor.

Cape started with some last ditch defending but after 10 minutes settled down.

West Park gave the visitors a wake-up call 15 minutes in, however, when they ran in a set piece try with no conversion.

A strong charge from the kick-off forced the error from the catcher, enabling number eight Keith Simpson to make a good 20 metres to set up a pushover try 10 metres out, Keith doing the honours.

Neil Smith then scored after bursting through two tackles to extend Cape's lead.

The second half kicked off with Cape on the front foot. A penalty was awarded to them on the five metre line 10 minutes in and the pack secured a try, with a controlled drive allowing Simpson to touch down for his second.

Ankers was sin-binned with 13 minutes left, and West Park used the overlap efficiently to run in two tries and convert one for the final score.

Capenhurst face Merseyside Police on Saturday in a rearranged league fixture.