Full match action picture gallery courtesy of Mike Boden above

AS neighbours clashed at Monk Sports Club, the spoils and bragging rights went back to Great Sankey.

Crosfields emerged victorious from Saturday’s ‘derby’ meeting with Woolston Rovers, winning 28-18 to gain revenge for a home loss earlier in the season.

Luke Walker crossed twice for Soap, with Brad Stanway, Elliot Liku and John Whittaker also scoring tries to leave head coach Dave Boden thrilled at full time.

"I enjoyed that and the lads showed how much it meant to them with their singing at full time, whilst remaining respectful,” he said after his side extended their winning run to six matches.

“Our forwards again were tireless and showed controlled aggression.

“It was a team performance, but Luke Walker and John Whittaker were hungry for the ball with the latter just edging a man-of-the-match performance.

“It was great to see a significant following and the support from our sideline was immense.”

Callum Harnett-Smy had opened the scoring for the hosts – one of two tries he scored – while further Woolston tries came from Karlton Bates and Dan Griffiths.

Head coach Mal Holt admits their pride is “a little dented” after the defeat and that the group are “hurting” after slipping to back-to-back losses.

“That was a very disappointing defeat, with our pride being a little dented with losing at home to our rivals,” he said.

“We played well in patches but credit to Crosfields – they always had that little more in the tank than we did and executed their plays better than we did.

“As a group, we are hurting and need to dig ourselves out of the hole we currently find ourselves in.”

Harnett-Smy finished off Ryan Brown’s break to give Woolston an early lead but just seven minutes later, Walker linked into the line from full-back to score from close range, with Stanway’s conversion giving Soap a lead they would not relinquish.

Walker then latched onto Whittaker’s inside ball to extend the lead before Bates’ superb take from a Theo Holt kick set up Griffiths to bring Rovers back into contention.

Stanway then dummied his way through the home defence to extend Crosfields’ half-time lead to 10 points, but back came Rovers again after the break as Harnett-Smy crossed following Kieran Moore’s long-pass.

When Soap hooker Kellen Moore was sin-binned, it looked like a way back into the game for the hosts had opened up by the door was slammed emphatically in their face.

The visitors scored twice while down to 12 men – Liku powering over before a dummy-half scoot from Whittaker – to put the game beyond Woolston, for whom Bates’ late try was merely a consolation.

Woolston: Aaron Barber; Callum Harnett-Smy, Dan Griffiths, Kieran Moore, Karlton Bates; Theo Holt, Ryan Brown; Sam Roberts, Adam Files, Ryan Hickman, Dan Fearnley, Cameron Davies, Harry Files. Subs: Ben Moore, Josh Sudlow, Tom Byrne, Matt Taylor

Crosfields: Luke Walker; Aaron Holliday, Alex Clutterbuck, Lewis Hall, Dan Reid; Brad Stanway, John Whittaker; Tom Millington, Kellen Wood, Tom Brown, Sam Hickey, Mitch McJay, Ben Mellor. Subs: Matty Barber, Elliot Liku, Jack Williams, Jordan Williams