So Close - but Honours Even

Sefton opened the scoring after ten minutes with a try on the left corner, after a period of attack in the the Wasps twenty two. 0v5

No.8 Amy Orrow, who had an excellent game, drew the scores level after twenty minutes. After just receiving treatment for an injury, she made a powerful run down the left hand touchline, before being forced in to touch near the line. The Sefton throw at the resulting lineout was disrupted, and the ball was tapped back and went loose. Orrow was the fastest to react to get the touchdown, and then convert her own try, to give the Wasps the lead. 7v5

The Wasps were playing very well in defence, putting pressure on Sefton whenever they had the ball, often forcing them to go backwards, and throw risky passes.

Ten minutes later, Amy Orrow was again in the action, to set up and score the Wasps’s second try. She made a good run to the line, but the ball was knocked on giving Sefton the scrum. The Wasps pack drove their opposite numbers off the ball, for Orrow to pick up and power over for her second try. 12v5.

Sefton came back into the game and the Wasps had to defend on their own line, and there was one try saving tackle, which stopped what looked like a certain try, but the relief was short lived as a Sefton player went over for a try under the posts which was converted to tie the scores. 12v12.

As the half came to the end The Wasps had several scrums on the Sefton line, but could not get over the line and the scores were still tied at the half time whistle.

The Wasps did not help themselves early in the second half by getting on the wrong side of the referee, and conceding a string of penalties, which kept Sefton on the attack.

After twenty minutes Sefton re-took the lead with a try on the left after a period of pressure. 12v17.

The Wasps struck back five minutes later, after some good handing from the team in the Sefton half, there was a good break by wing Chelsea Clarkson, who was stopped near the line, but the forwards recycled the ball, for scrum half Catherine Sewell to force her way over for the try 17v17.

Eight minutes later the Wasps re-took the lead, after more good work from Amy Orrow. Outside half Fleur Stanton made a good break, and fullback Hayley Hodgson, was on hand to get through a number of tackles and power over, taking the ball under the posts for the try, but unfortunately the conversion failed. 22v17.

Sefton finished strongly and despite some excellent tackling from the Wasps, continued to re-cycle the ball well, and finally a player went over on the left hand side to tie the scores. The Sefton kicker had done well with a number of difficult conversion attempts, but despite another good kick, it was not on target and the referee decided this was the final action of the game. 22v22

Despite the late disappointment this was a good result. The Wasps had had to be strong in defence against a team with good handling skills. The Wasps handling has also improved, but they need to learn from their visitors and have more players in support of their attackers when the make breaks, and find more ways to get fullback Hayley Hodgson into the game, as with Amy Orrow she drew tacklers, to open spaces for support players.

The Wasps are next at Mintbridge, against Sunderland Ladies on the 5th November, please come down and give them your support, if it is as good as this game you will be well rewarded.

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Kendal Wasps Ladies
• 1. Kerry Stevens
• 2. Aimee Sharp
• 3. Anna Waite
• 4. Lindsey Kendall
• 5. Samara Tomlinson
• 6. Holly Howard
• 7. Emma Rowlinson
• 8. Amy Orrow
• 9. Catherine Sewell
• 10. Fleur Stanton
• 11. Sophie Little
• 12. Lauren Harkness
• 13. Chelsea Clarkson
• 14. Rowan Boardley
• 15. Hayley Hodgson
• 16. Sarah Muncaster
• 17. Amy Butler
• 18. Gemma Charlton
• 19. Emma Grunnill
• 20. Tamar Benson
• 21. Sam Clark
• 22. Elizabeth Stoke

• Forwards
The Front row is unchanged from Barnsley away. Samara Tomlinson returns to the second row and the back row benefits from a re-shuffle with Emma Rowlinson returning after missing out last game and Amy Orrow back to number 8 after filling in the backline last time out.
• Backs
Half-backs unchanged, and a backline change sees Lauren Harkness move out to the centres. Sophie Little returns to the left wing after missing out vs Barnsley.
• A big bench!!
Gemma Charlton, Eve Joseph and Liz Stoker all in line for league debuts, and Tamar Benson and Emma Grunnill return to the match day squad for the first time this season.

Coach James Mackereth:
"It's been a long time since the last time we played Sefton, the first game of last season in fact, and we aren't expecting anything other than a tough game, they're a good side and will want to come here and throw the whole kitchen at us. We've got a huge squad available for Sunday, a good mix of old and new, with some great impact available off the bench too. Last time out at Barnsley was a real challenge, they really threw it at us but we stuck it out and everyone took something positive away. We've gone back to the training pitch, had a good look at things and tried to put a few things in place to move forward. The team is a little bit different to last time out. Rowley and Amy Orrow moving in to the pack gives us different options in the forwards, and Lauren moving in to the midfield makes us very direct. I'm looking forward to us having options off the bench, and I'm looking forward to seeing Eve Joseph and Gemma Charlton have a run on for their first outings in the wasps jumper, exciting players both. We're still a young team, but we're moving in the right direction and are learning along the way. Fingers crossed for a fine day and a game to match, I'm as enthused as ever and can't wait for it."