While the win keeps the Lions one point clear of Jamberoo at the top of the ladder, the loss means the Blacks fall even further from a spot in the top five after their positive start to the season.

Though the day didn’t end well for the Blacks, the visitors were never short of effort and it was the Lions’ class and experience that proved to be the difference between the two sides.

It was the Blacks who opened the scoring after finding themselves deep in Gerringong territory thanks to an early penalty.

Port captain-coach James Storer found some Gerringong defenders napping on the blind and burrowed over to score and Deejay Harris’ sideline conversion gave the Blacks a 6-nil lead.

It wasn’t a lead that was destined to last for long however, with the Lions soon taking advantage of consecutive penalties that put them on the attack.

Lions’ five-eighth Patrick Cronin produced a show of strength to carry a number of Port defenders over the line to open Gerringong’s account.

Joel Roberts’ conversion leveled the scores with 10 minutes gone.

Cronin was soon in the thick of things again, this time breaking through the line before finding Brad Davidson, the Gerringong lock then popped the ball to Rixon Russell who raced away to score under the posts.

Roberts conversion handed the home side a 12-6 lead.

That score line stood for 10 minutes before Gerringong could extend it further.

Tim Moore was the next to cross, with the front-rower storming on to short ball to crash over under the posts.

Roberts made no trouble of the easy conversion and Gerringong had an 18-6 lead.

Gerringong then managed to extend the lead to three converted tries, when Cronin took advantage of some back pedaling defenders and reach out for his second of the day.

It looked as if the Lions would take that lead into halftime but a run of possession late in the half gave the Blacks an opportunity to trim the lead.

Livewire five-eighth Imran Hadaya found some tired defenders and crossed next to the posts and Harris’ conversion put the score at 24-12 at the break.

The second half saw the Lions come out roaring and the home side ran in three quick tries to effectivelty seal the game.

Centre Danny Wedd was the first to cross after the break, scoring out wide a after Port were caught short on the left.

Russell then got his second for the day, the halfback dummying his way through the Port line to touch down.

Roberts’ fifth conversion pushed the score to 34-12.

It was soon 40-12 when Russell completed his hat-trick, with the half-back in under the posts after backing up a break by Davidson.

To Port’s credit they didn’t let there heads drop and they put some respectability into the score line when Storer won the race to his own grubber into the in-goal and Hadaya’s conversion bought the score to 40-18.

The Lions weren’t finished though and some quick hands allowed Roberts to join the try-scoring list when he dived over in the corner.

Ports’ Jowasa Drodralagi then grabbed a consolation try before a penalty goal from Roberts rounded out the score at 46-24.

For Gerringong, bookends Kal Collins and Moore along with Cronin all had strong games, while Storer, Mark Simon and Hadaya were the Blacks’ best.