WITH a resounding defeat to put right, Knutsford travelled to Sefton’s seconds in refocused mood.

The results were plain to see as they romped to a 43-19 victory over a strong but eventually stunned home outfit.

All of this came from a Knutsford side with a patched-up look to it – Sam Kemp stood in at scrum-half while Gregg Sawyer played out of position on the wing to alleviate pressure on their injury-stricken backline.

They had already scored three tries in the opening 15 minutes – with Jim Southall, Alex Malcolm and Sam Cook all crossing – when the hosts’ discipline spoiled the game slightly.

Two Sefton players were red-carded and scrums were uncontested, with the hosts flooding the backline to make it difficult for their visitors to break them down.

Still, Knutsford kept their heads and when Cook broke through the line and drew several tacklers, he found Cameron Smyth for the finish out wide.

Knutsford seemed to tire after the break and Sefton sensed a chance, reducing the deficit to 27-19 with 16 minutes remaining.

However, the visitors soon regained their composure and player-coach Chris Edmonds powered over from the 22 before the powerful Craig Cooper found space in midfield to score between the posts.

Knutsford host Birkenhead Park’s thirds in their next game on Saturday.