WILMSLOW made hard work of their first home win of the season against bottom-of-the-table side Blackburn and celebrated their 125th anniversary in more style off the pitch than on it.

Five tries, three conversions, and two penalties – with every back from fly-half to full-back on the scoresheet – did the damage against a plucky Blackburn side.

There were tries for centres Josh Longmore and Chris Lee, wingers James Watts and Jordan Kennedy and full-back Ben Warren. Fly-half Bob MacCallum added the balance with the kicks.

The writing was on the wall from the kick-off, when Blackburn caught and drove three times, using their heavyweight forwards.

Wilmslow’s instant reaction was to fling the ball wide, which ultimately undid their Lancashire opponents but not before the Wolves had dipped to the opposition’s level.

Time and again they managed to pull ahead, only to let the visitors without a win this season – back into the game with unnecessary penalties and wrong decisions.

Coach Giles Heagerty admitted: "I’m really quite disappointed we allowed them to get so many points. I think we realised within five minutes they were quite a poor side and stepped off the gas a bit. Our usual strength in defence wasn’t there and we allowed three slipshod tries to be scored against us. Having said that, we were much more positive in attack and the backs showed what they are capable of at times."

Heagerty paid tribute to his midfield combination of Longmore and Lee, who were marshalled by MacCallum who made good use of the first-half wind and put in disciplined kicking in the second period.

There were plaudits too for substitute back three player Ricky Chadwick, flankers James Partington and Jamie Thomas and, once more, the feisty contribution of young Ollie Longmore at hooker. The result lifts Wilmslow from ninth to fifth.

The Wolves managed to rack up 22 unanswered points by half-time against Blackburn.

MacCallum opened their account on just two minutes with a penalty, but it wasn’t until midway through the first half that they finally managed to break down Blackburn’s dogged defence.

Scrum-half Charlie Mulchrone kicked ahead and centre Longmore, aided by No8 Danny Jones, forced Blackburn to clear in their own 22. Sweet line-out possession saw the ball swing open, then blind for Longmore to beat three tackles to score.

The Wolves played their best rugby of the game on the restart, with three minutes of harem-scarem crossfield passing and probing before MacCallum’s pinpoint cross-kick bounced kindly for Lee to run in from 30 metres out.

Blackburn applied more pressure just before the break, only for Watts to intercept and race 70 metres to touch down unopposed.

The visitors’ revival started with the first play of the second half and an unnecessary penalty for coming in from the side of a ruck, but MacCallum added another when a Burn lock forward was sin-binned for deliberately interfering with play as he retreated from a ruck.

Frustratingly, this was the signal for a minor Blackburn revival and two tries which saw them get to 25-15 before Kennedy’s audacious interception of a wide and high pass and a 70-metre race for the line.

It was Kennedy’s kick ahead at the death which led to Warren scooping up and scoring Wilmslow’s fifth try.

The Vikings drew 17-17 with Fylde and the Hawks development side won 39-6 against Bowdon, which included a hat-trick of tries for No8 Ross Mitchell and further scores for Matt Tucker, Fraser Sinclair and Chris Rogers.

Chris Jones and Stephen Beard added kicks.