ST MARIES repaid the hard pre-season work by their coaching staff with the best possible start to their inaugural campaign in the national conference league last weekend.

Showing superior fitness and ball control, they raced into an 18-point lead that should have been the platform to a massive score line.

Slick inter-passing between Jimmy Cassidy and man of the match Adam Flanagan put the former in under the sticks to give Mark Keenan an easy conversion.

The Maries tore into the Hawks for 15 minutes with some powerful play from Jamie Rowlands, Matt Grady and Paul Weir before debutant Lee Connolly and Gary McKeown put Anthony Hollins in to the left of the posts.

From the kick-off, quick inter-passing between Darren McKinnon and evergreen Tony Hannon resulted in Flanagan showing blistering pace to take Cassidy's high pass and stroll in.

With the Saints in total command though, a rare missed tackle saw the opposition's Dave Beever score out near the corner flag.

But the reply was an immediate score at the other end when Will Tilleke and Mark Moran put Barry Quinn in by the corner.

Keenan failed to add to his three goals with a very difficult kick and a dubious off-side decision allowed Bright Sodje to stroll in to make the half time score 10-22.

The second half started as badly for the Maries as the first had ended, giving away two unnecessary penalties and losing Connolly and Keenan with injuries.

They were shocked back into life after 65 minutes when Sodje scored his second when given much too much space by a defence that thought they had the game won.

Hollins, Hannon and Flanagan all went close and Cassidy confused everyone with a chip kick on the last tackle with no one alert enough to ground the ball.

Paul Argent converted a penalty gained after a barn storming run from Shaun Draycott only for the Hawks to go in right on time through Kristian Jowitt.

Sheffield have lost very rarely at home in the past few season, which highlights just how far the Maries have progressed under Bobbie Goulding and Mick Woolrich.

The Saints entertain Cottingham Tigers from Hull.

The North West Counties side went down 6-8 in an enthralling derby friendly at Albert Park and are well set up for their first game away at Chorley Panthers next week.