LIVERPOOL ST HELENS overcame Vale of Lune’s puerile attempts at mind games last Saturday to record their first win of 2012 and put their season back on track.

Ironically it was the sin-binning of the Vale scrum-half, the subject of a late switch apparently designed to unsettle the Moss Laners, that triggered the sequence of scoring that now sees LSH back in second place in North One West.

LSH director of rugby Martin Jones was relieved with the win and was particularly pleased with the manner of the victory.

“We kept our discipline whilst, for some reason, Vale seemed to be intent on losing theirs,” he said.

Noting that his side had restricted the league’s leadingpoints scorers to just five points, he was full of praise for the way his team shut the visitors out.

“Our line was never in danger, particularly in the second half,” he continued. “I hope we can now move on.”

LSH do move on, this Saturday, to a rearranged fixture with Rochdale at Moss Lane, kick-off 2.15pm. With no injury worries there will, once again, be strong competition for places when Jones names the starting line-up tonight (Thursday).

With the second XV, fresh from their 25-22 win against Altrincham Kersal, lining up for a Raging Bull Cup tie against Stockport, the Lane will be buzzing for the second week running.

In the reckoning somewhere will be three of the season’s recruits from Liverpool University, Matt Gaines, Josh Grant-Butler and Zane Manam. Gaines has had a couple of first XV starts at scrum half whilst Grant-Butler, a prop, has benched twice.