Broughton Park's 2nd XV suffered a 5-29 defeat to a well-organised Wilmslow side on Saturday, but there were plenty of positives to take from a spirited performance.

Park started brightly and enjoyed much of the early territory, pinning Wilmslow back in their own half. However, the visitors soon found their rhythm and began to apply sustained pressure. Strong defence from Park initially kept them out, including a crucial hold-up over the line, but Wilmslow eventually broke through in the corner to open the scoring.

Park's response was immediate and impressive. An interception inside their own half sparked a superb counter-attack that carried play all the way to the Wilmslow five-metre line. With the defence scrambling back, a perfectly timed offload found a runner hitting a superb line at pace. He crashed through the first tackle, shrugged off the covering defence and powered over for an excellent try to level the scores at 5-5.

Unfortunately for Park, Wilmslow responded immediately. Recovering possession from the restart, they struck just minutes later when their fly-half chipped over the defensive line, gathered his own kick and crossed for a converted score. Another Wilmslow try before the break left Park trailing 5-17 at half time.

The second half was a more attritional affair, with much of the rugby played between the two 22-metre lines. While Wilmslow generally enjoyed the better of possession and territory, Park continued to defend with commitment and frequently managed to clear their lines under considerable pressure.

As the game wore on, Wilmslow's ability to retain possession and build phases eventually told. They added further points in the final quarter to put the result beyond doubt and secure a deserved 5-29 victory.

For Park, there were encouraging signs despite the score line. The defensive effort and commitment never wavered, and there were flashes of attacking quality that suggest the squad is moving in the right direction. Improvements in first-up tackling, breakdown support and discipline will undoubtedly be key areas of focus in the weeks ahead, but there remains plenty of promise within this developing side.