THE Lions moved up to second in the table by seeing off the side in the position going into the day, Falmouth, at Lux Park.

Such is the run Liskeard-Looe are on and willingness to be involved, the coaching staff had 26 players available for 19 slots.

The home side started well, and put themselves under pressure and in the fifth minute the visitors were short of a player because of a yellow card for a high tackle.

Not long after from a line-out deep in Falmouth territory, the ball was driven forward and then released blind to send in scrum-half Jay Mason for an unconverted try.

In the 15th minute a Falmouth clearance kick was gathered by Jordan Smith, returning to the club for the first time in a number of years. He started a passing move which ended with hooker and captain Archie Doidge finding back-rower Andy Rowe who raced in from 40 metres for an unconverted try (10-0).

The visitors lost a second player to the sin-bin on 25 minutes, but 10 minutes later they were on the scoreboard as a quickly taken penalty deep in the 22 saw them go over for an unconverted try.

With just three points in it, it was anyone’s game, but the Lions got the next score 48 minutes in as a quickly-taken penalty saw some swift passing to send Rowe in for his second, converted by full-back James Noel-Johnson(17-7).

Falmouth started to pile on the pressure and in the 75th minute Liskeard-Looe lost replacement flanker Ollie Dunn to the bin, followed by young flanker Will Hoskin less than a minute later.

To make matters even harder for the hosts, within a minute referee Josh Jones, who had a very good game, awarded a penalty try to Falmouth and showed a third yellow card, this time to Lions replacement prop, Max Dennison.

It meant Falmouth, who needed a penalty for a draw, had just 12 players to get past.

However, Liskeard had other ideas and in stoppage-time, Noel-Johnson put in an excellent through kick which was chased down by centre Jack Badnall and Smith, for the latter to dot down for the bonus-point try to make the score 22-14 and deny Falmouth a losing bonus point at the final whistle.

The man of the match was deemed to be Noel-Johnson for his combative performance.

The Lions are next in action is this coming Saturday when they are at home to OPM in the Plymouth Combination’s Lockie Cup competition (2.30pm). All support is greatly appreciated.

In the clubhouse afterwards, a ceremony took place with a newly-instigated recognition award system to current players being awarded their caps for a hundred league and cup appearances as decided by the records since the 2008-09 season.

Mike Mander (296), James Noel-Johnson (286) and Yestin Hutchings (281) are all closing in on 300 appearances having started their Lions journey before then.

Since then – Archie Doidge (130), Jack Badnall (129) and Mike McCarthy (105) have all passed the magic three-figure mark.

LISKEARD-LOOE: Noel-Johnson, Smith, Knight, Badnall, Husband, Beaver, Mason; Hicks, Doidge (capt), Wilton; Warner, Hutchings; Rowe, Hoskin, Dack. Replacements: Dennison, Mortimor, McCarthy, Dunn.

Tries: Mason, Rowe (2), Smith; Convs: Noel-Johnson; Pens: N/A.

Lions’ man-of-the-match: James Noel-Johnson.