Pilkingtons 36 Bank Quay Bulls 14.

SATURDAY'S defeat against title challengers Pilkingtons leaves Bank Quay Bulls needing other results to go in their favour if they are to become champions of the North West Counties Amateur Rugby League Premier Division for the first time.

And Bulls will need to defeat fellow title rivals Blackbrook at Longshaw Street playing fields on Saturday at 2.30pm to stay in the hunt.

Fourth-placed Bulls, who are 11 points behind leaders Halton Simms Cross with four games in hand, struggled to put together any kind of attacking play against Pilkingtons.

And only Bulls' scrambling defence kept them in the game, restricting the home side to one unconverted try and a couple of penalty goals.

Phil Braddish gave Bank Quay some hope, forcing his way over from acting half on the stroke of half time to leave the Bulls trailing 8-4 at the break.

Ten minutes into the second half the match was all over as a contest, with Pilkingtons proving too fast and too strong for the Bulls as they ran in three converted tries.

A Wes Lawton try converted by Anthony Braide got the Bulls into double figures but Pilkingtons went on to score two further tries and a conversion.

Bulls got the final score with the league's form player, Craig Millington, going over in the corner but they will need to regroup and put this disaster behind them.