23rd March 2019
Wirral (Away)
In a season that ended in relegation, to where we find ourselves now (at least where we will be once we finally get the green light to restart) this was our second largest win. The largest was also away from Mint Bridge, at Kirkby Lonsdale, (the one with the John Dervey try). These were our only away wins, but we also got the double over both teams, neither of whom went down. Despite beating both the others who went down with us at Mint Bridge, we lost away to them, with our only other win come at Mint Bridge by a point against Lymm (the team who finished one place off relegation).

With time, games, and points to gain, running out, and Lymm twelve points clear, this was a must win game, to repeat the unexpected victories of the previous two seasons, but Wirral had only lost at home three times, two coming against the top placed teams.

Dan Wilson joining the backs in place of Mark Carruthers, whilst Chris Evans replaced John Dervey in the second row, with Dan Shorrock and Ben Dixon coming onto the bench.

Wirral started well, but we also had an early chance when Kris Bratton collected a Glen Weightman chip over the defence, only for support to arrive too slowly when he was stopped, and we were penalised for failing to release the ball. There was a long stoppage when a Wirral player was forced off with his leg in a splint.

Wirral were putting together waves of attacks, with excellent ball retention and offloading, but our defence managed to hold firm.

Kris Bratton was injured after a quarter of an hour, when trying to make a tackle, and was forced off to be replaced by Dan Shorrock, with Myles Harrop moving into the centre and Shorrock taking his place on the wing.

After holding out through a long period of Wirral pressure, our defence was finally broken after twenty minutes. A penalty was taken quickly (although it seemed to be from nowhere near where it had been awarded), and a few quick passes saw Wirral in for the opening score. Three minutes later we were caught offside in front of the posts and went a further three points behind

We slowly got into the game, with scrum half Wayne Ngubane frequently breaking the defence, but despite good work from Chris Downham, other support players were too slow to arrive, meaning the Wirral defence was able to re-group.

Dan Wilson had a good run down the wing, but at the crucial moment lost his footing,

Just after the half hour we were within a point. After just missing out from an earlier quick penalty, when he had a second chance Wayne Ngubane made no mistake, despite for a second time the Wirral defence seeming to make no attempt to retreat, and he managed to power his way through for a touchdown. Glen Weightman added the conversion. 8v7.

Five minutes later, at what would normally have been the end of the half, we were awarded a penalty, which would have given us the lead. However with the two long injury breaks there was still plenty of time to play, so rather than take the three points, we went for a scrum. Wirral held out but were penalised again. The penalty was moved wide, where Glen Weightman was tackled high as he went for the line. The referee yellow carded the Wirral flanker (or would have done if he had his cards) and then trotted underneath the posts to award a penalty try, having decided the tackle prevented a score.

Better was to follow, the kick off was gathered well and moved wide, where Danny Barker broke the defence and made good ground. Chris Downham was on hand to take a pass out of the tackle, then returned the ball to man of the match Barker who went through to score. Glen Weightman added the conversion.

There was still time to play, and we put ourselves under pressure not clearly gathering the re-start kick. Wirral set up a number of attacks, but the half ended when Dan Wilson got in to force a penalty, when a Wirral player failed to release in the tackle.

We started the second half well, but early momentum was disrupted when the game had to be stopped due to a second serious injury to a Wirral player, with their fullback forced off.

When the game re-started, we put the Wirral defence under pressure on the right. When the forwards could not get over, the ball was moved left, and there was good interplay between the backs, with Dan Shorrock doing well to weave his way through the defence for a touchdown. Glen Wightman added the conversion. 8v28.

With Wirral restored to fifteen players, having conceded twenty one points, it was our turn to be reduced to fourteen. Having been fortunate to avoid a card when getting involved in a disagreement with a Wirral player when penalised for not retreated, Chris Downham was carded for an infringement at the next breakdown.

Wirral set up a number of attacks, but our defence was holding firm, although conceding a string of penalties. From another penalty for failing to retreat, a Wirral player went over for a try. From a distance it appeared he lost the ball before grounding it, but the referee who was much closer was happy.

We were then temporarily reduced to thirteen men. Jack Lashley had got in to try to steal Wirral ball at the tackle, but the referee decided illegally. Lashley then foolishly chose to question this and was given ten minutes on the touchline to consider his actions.

This forced us into a further change, with Robbie Collinson coming on at hooker and Garry Holmes moved to prop, with Alistair Thompson being sacrificed.

The thirteen men managed to hold out, and when restored to fifteen, with Lashley’s time on the side lines ending, Collinson stayed on with Thompson returning. However after being put under pressure in the next scrum, Lashley returned in place of Chris Evans. We had also replaced Matt Charters with Ben Dixon

Play was almost all in our twenty two, with Wirral looking for a score, and with five minutes to play Mark Irving became the fourth player be yellow carded, (not a day for the referee to be without his cards), but the fourteen man defence continued to hold firm.

With Wirral throwing the ball, around there were a number of handling errors and the Kendal back five were always looked to exploit the errors, to breakaway and get a further score, with the Development team wings seeming to add urgency that had rubbed off on the new centre partnership.

The clock seemed to tick down incredibly slowly, but when we got the ball, Glen Weightman, captaining the team in the continued absence of Dom Musetti, played a simple game of putting the ball as far away from the line as possible, as the depleted Wirral backline never looked as if they could break the rampaging Kendal defensive wall from distance.

After eight minutes of added time, due to the earlier injuries, the referee decided he had seen enough and we were able to celebrate only our second five point game of the season, the other having come in our largest home win by 10 points against Wilmslow.

The result was made even greater, as for over thirty minutes of the second half we were a man down, and without one of their key backs. Wirral who already had a long injury list, lost key players in the game, and earlier in the season may have kicked penalties rather than look for tries, which did not come.

15 - Dini Noyo
14 - Dan Wilson
13 - Kris Bratton
12 - Danny Barker
11 - Myles Harrop
10 - Glen Weightman
9 - Wayne Ngubane

1 - Jack Lashley
2 - Garry Holmes
3 - Mark Irving
4 - Chris Evans
5 - Matthew Charters
6 - Alistair Thompson
7 - Kirk Chettleburgh
8 - Chris Downham

rep - Dan Shorrock
rep - Ben Dixon
rep - Robbie Collinson

22nd March 2014
Widnes (Away)
Earlier in the season we had had a dramatic home win against the team who finished immediately above us in the table (ten points clear), we did the same the following season, but this was to be our only lost to them in our three seasons in North One West.

Duncan Green was unavailable due work commitments, so Robbie Collinson came in for his first start, after impressing after coming on as a substitute in the previous away game at Liverpool St Helens.

Widnes made an excellent start, and quick handing and excellent ball retention, which was to characterise their performance all afternoon, saw their left wing score after just four minutes and the difficult conversion was added.

Mark Carruthers was injured in the build up to the try, and was forced to leave the field, with Brad Jackson coming on to replace him.

Further good passing, set up Widnes’ second try after seven minutes, with the fullback scoring, however Matty Houghton did enough to distract him from success with an easier conversion, to keep the score down.

We were soon back in the game. Widnes failed to cleanly gather the kick off and the ball went to touch to set up a lineout. We took the lineout ball and the forwards set up a powerful drive. When Widnes were penalised the penalty was put to the corner for another lineout, but Reece Tomlinson was not able to gather the throw, and could only tap the ball down. Widnes were awarded a scrum, but our pack forced a penalty, and this time the forwards set up another drive, with Richard Harryman breaking through, before Dan Lowther finished the move with a try from short range. Chris Park converted.

Widnes extended their lead five minutes later. A long kick down the right touchline, force us into a defensive lineout on our own line. We lost the ball at the lineout, and Widnes maintained pressure until a space opened up in midfield for their centre to score, however again good pressure meant the conversion was missed.

Our pack was starting to gain control at the scrum, but a double substitution of the Widnes prop and hooker, made their scrum stronger.

After half an hour we were back in the game, after a period of pressure in the Widnes twenty two. A penalty awarded after a Widnes scrum offence was put to the corner. When the lineout was won, Widnes illegally stopped the Kendal drive to the line, and the referee awarded a penalty try, which Chris Park converted.

At the end of the half, Kendal were on the attack down the right hand touchline, but a loose pass was intercepted. Whilst we stopped the wing, the ball was moved into midfield, where it appeared that after a good break their centre had made a mistake by passing rather than backing himself to score. We managing to stop the move, only for the ball to be quickly moved again, and this time the centre did go over for his second try of the game, which was converted for a 24v14 half time lead.

At half time Bill Coxon replaced Glenn Chesher.

Widnes again made an excellent start to the half. Their fullback fielded a kick through, and evaded a number of attempted tackles, and still retained the ball when tackled. More excellent passing and support play, saw their scrum half finish the move with the try. Again Matty Houghton did enough to distract the kicker, and the conversion failed.

Reece Tomlinson was forced from the field, with Glenn Chesher returning to replace him. Then after quarter of an hour, Garry Holmes was forced off and Liam Nicholson came on to replace him.

After twenty minutes of the half, following a long period of Widnes pressure, we scored a try against the run of play. A late tackle on Dan Lowther after a kick out of defence, gave us a penalty near halfway. Lowther put the kick into the Widnes twenty two. In what was clearly a well planned move, rather look to drive from the lineout, Richard Harryman and Billy Coxon were positioned in midfield, and when the lineout was won, the ball was move to them, with Harryman driving through the centre, supported by Coxon. The ball was quickly recycled, and Dan Lowther moved the ball to the wing, for Jordan Johnson to score

With our scrum disrupted, and Widnes making good use of their rolling substitutions in the front row, they were starting to gain the upper hand. A good scrum, set up possession for a break by their right wing to score and this time the conversion was successful

We were further disrupted by another injury, and with all their substituted used, Liam Nicholson moved onto the wing, Jordan Johnson went to scrum half and James Gough onto the flank. Gough clearly relished his new role and was able to disrupted Widnes ball on several occasions.

With five minutes of normal time to play, we narrowed the gap. A scrum in midfield saw the ball moved to the left. Chris Park joined the line from fullback, and his pass released Brad Jackson to race to the line for a try. Park put over the difficult conversion

We continued to look for a further score to give us for a second bonus point, and in injury time, after a penalty took us into the Widnes twenty two, good work from the forwards earned a further penalty. Chris Park converted the difficult kick, with the last play of the game, to snatch an unlikely bonus point. 36v29

Whilst the scoreline probably did not fairly reflect the dominance of a lively Widnes team, we had done well to stay in touch with the patched up team.

The match sponsor was Morbaine Ltd, the developers, who eventually after many years of negotiation with the planners, bought the old Mint Bridge to develop for Sainsbury’s.

15 - Chris Park
14 - Mark Carruthers
13 - Alistair Thompson
12 - Ian Voortman
11 - Jordan Johnson
10 - Dan Lowther
9 - James Gough

1 - Glenn Chesher
2 - Robbie Collinson
3 - Richard Harryman
4 - Liam Hayton
5 - Reece Tomlinson
6 - Garry Holmes
7 - Matty Houghton
8 - James Thompson

rep - Billy Coxon
rep - Brad Jackson
rep - Liam Nicholson

4th April 2009
Caldy (Home)
We lost 29v14 away at Macclesfield on the 21st March, then on the 28th away at Loughbrough Students 33v6, but I was not at either game, and I have no reports so jumped forwards a few weeks.

We came in to this game against the team in second place, on a run of just one win in seven and that was at Halifax a team who were yet to win that season, and it had been a struggle (see earlier report)

Mark Wilson was back in the team after University commitments, but Dan Stephens and Duncan Green were both out injured.

As normal we chose to play with the wind and started well. We looked to have scored when the right wing Zane Butler went down the touchline, but the touch judge put his flag up. (I was nearby and Butler had got nowhere near the touchline, so I’m not sure what he saw).

We continued to press and Caldy rarely (if ever) left the half. Finally after twenty five, we took the lead with a Rob Aloe penalty from in front of the posts

The referees patience with Caldy offending finally ran out, and he binned the No 7 (who protested vehemently that it was not him), as the incident happened at the same time as a skirmish between the Kendal hooker Allan Martindale and a Caldy back, I thought he may have been right, but maybe the card was for an earlier offence. We went for the line rather than the posts, but the move failed. However from a subsequent move the Caldy No 12 dived in – so it was their.8 the referee binned. Rob Aloe converted the resulting penalty

Now playing against 13 men we exploited the gaps and Ian Voortman made a good break, for once off loading before being tackled, to a second row (Gore/Hayton), whose pass gave right wing Zane Butler an easy run in for a try, which this time wasn’t disallowed

13v0 at half time score, when it also started to rain – was it enough ?

The rain stopped and Kendal came out a different team – one much more like the one that had started the season and in the first five minutes they spent more time in that half, than Caldy had in the whole of the first forty minutes. After a number of passing moves, hooker Allan Martindale found himself with the ball and no opponent, and wandered over under the posts (when he scored earlier in the season at Morpeth, his father suggested it doubled his career total. A little harsh as that had been his fourth, but of players who have made more over a hundred appearances, only Glenn Chesher has a higher games per try ratio).

As at Leicester Lions earlier in the season, when things were already going well, they got better. Another passing move gave Lewis Boyd an easy trot in, for a try that was not converted 25v0.

The lead was cut a few minutes later when the Caldy centre found a gap and scored in the corner but too far out for the conversion 25v5. The wind had dropped and the sun had come out.

We were then on the attack under the Caldy posts, but messed it up by holding on. Caldy ran the penalty to the opposite end of the field. Fortunately they knocked it on and we had a scrum deep in their 22.

In my report to my father I then suggested “the scrum half (James Gough) is not very good with his kicks which tend to go further upwards than length wise, but this time it worked in our favour as his box kick totally confused the Caldy wing, who let the ball bounce. This allowed Ian Voortman to hack the ball on, then Zane Butler gathered it and outpaced his marker (who must have been a forward) for the bonus point try, with Rob Aloe adding the conversion.

With twenty minutes to go things quietened down, and we had to do some defending, but with little difficulty.

In injury time we got a penalty under the posts, which James Gough tried to take it quickly – but the referee was not happy, only for the Caldy centre to flatten his opposite number. After consultation with the touch judge it was decided that a yellow was sufficient – it was the No 12 who should have gone earlier. Rob Aloe kicked the penalty.

We clearly thought we were an International team, and with two minutes to go, having previous used no replacements, we brought Joel Howse, Reece Tomlinoisn and Brett Ashley on. This may have backfired as a Caldy replacement ran in an easy try, then quickly took a drop kick conversion, but the referee had seen enough – so final score 35v12.

Caldy cannot have liked coming to Kendal, as two years earlier, on their way to the League title, they lost at Kendal, which had been the first time we experimented moving flanker Nick McKain into the centre. Always good fun for the supporters, not so much for opposition centres.

It was suggested one of the touch judges was an ex-international referee. It was possible he had had originally been at the game as the assessor, as we had had a change of touch judge.

We followed this win up a week later by going one better and beating the League leaders and eventual champions Nuneaton 44v29. I ended that report with the line “of course we will now lose to second bottom Darlington Mowden Park next weekend” which we did ! We then lost to Loughborough Students, but won the final three re-arranged games, to finish ninth.

15 - Chris Park
14 - Zane Butler
13 - Ian Voortman
12 - Matt Gracie
11 - Lewis Boyd
10 - Rob Aloe
9 - James Gough

1 - Billy Coxon
2 - Allen Martindale
3 - Richard Harryman
4 - Liam Hayton
5 - Gareth Gore
6 - Mark Wilson
7 - Garry Holmes
8 - Craig Wilson

rep - Reece Tomlinson
rep - Ian Ross (u)
rep - Joel Howse
rep - Brett Ashley
rep - Jack Walker (u)

20 March 2004
Liverpool St Helens (Home)
We lost 35v5 away at New Brighton on the 20th March, but I was not there, and in the programme for this game, editor apologised for no “View from” as many of those there had recently contributed and “enjoyed their host’s hospitality”. There was no game the following week and I missed the previous weeks win over Longton,

This was the second of only two wins after the end of January, both coming against teams who were to be relegated. The programme suggests Liverpool St Helens, had only won once away, although that had been at Blaydon who were fourth.

Martin Armstrong dropped out so Chris Park came off the bench and went fullback, with Simon Mullholand moving into the centre and James Gough coming onto the bench. My programme suggests Adrian Bateson was replaced by Dan Bowman, with Liam Hayton, taking Bowman’s place on the bench, but the official team sheet says Bateson played

Playing against a very strong wind, we set off well and dominated the first five minutes before scoring an unconverted try (either Andrew Hudson or Mark Bowman)

Liverpool St Helens came back with a converted try after ten minutes to take the lead, before we added a second try (whoever did not score the first) then a penalty, following a shoulder charge from the Liverpool St Helen’s wing, which got him a yellow card

Just before half time Chris Park added a try which he converted, and Kendal we had a 20v12 half time lead, with the wind in the favour in the second half.

So instead of us running away with the game, it was Liverpool St Helens’ who came back with tries after six and sixteen minutes to give them the lead, whilst we spent most of our time defending.

On a rare attack Chris Park added a second penalty after twenty five minutes, and we hung on for a narrow win, with the majority of points scored by the teams when playing into the wind.

I wondered who would have taken the kicks if Chris had not come on, then spotted my programme suggests Paul Dodds kicked the first penalty, although the official stats give all the kicks to Chris. I checked the end of season stats, but know no more as that season six different players, including Dodds were successful with kicks.

15 - Chris Park
14 - Jason Balmer
13 - Dennis Bibby
12 - Simon Mullholland
11 - Luke Ladell
10 - Paul Dodds
9 - Mark Airey

1 - Dan Bowles
2 - Duncan Green
3 - Richard Harryman
4 - Andrew Hudson
5 - Mike Capstick
6 - Keith Robinson
7 - Mark Bowman
8 - Dan Bowman

rep - Jon Nicholson (u)
rep - Dave Preston
rep - Liam Hayton
rep - James Gough (u)