by Neil Allen
LYMM brought the curtain down on their season with a 27-10 victory over Cleckheaton which condemned the visitors to relegation.
Lymm were already assured of their usual comfortable mid-table position, which is no mean feat in a season disrupted by injuries and unavailability.
The pitch was looking pristine and conditions were perfect for an end of season romp. Both teams opened up intent on running the ball and it was Lymm who opened the scoring with a great first phase move from a scrum, which saw Cormac Nolan go over. Richard McEvoy added the extras, the start of a perfect day from the kicking tee.
In scoring his try Cormac pulled a muscle, which is an ironic end to a season which saw him challenged by the coaching staff for his lack of muscle. Cormac rose to the challenge and has had a great season, becoming the ‘go to’ man to add the spark to the Lymm attack. Later in the evening Cormac was quite deservedly rewarded for his transformation, with the supporters player of the year award.
Back to the game and the Lymm try sparked Cleckheaton into life and they enjoyed a good phase of possession. This resulted in a yellow card for Lymm and the inevitable kick to the corner and close quarter try from the Yorkshire outfit. 7-5 and game on.
The remainder of the half was all a bit frantic, with both teams unable to hold onto the ball. Cleckheaton were clearly anxious given their plight and Lymm’s eagerness to run the ball at every opportunity saw both teams guilty of spilling the ball and turning over possession. On the half hour Lymm were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, which they took to make the score 10-5. As the half drew to a close Cleckheaton continued to play dropsy with the line begging and Lymm capitalised with a superb sweeping move which saw the full skills of Andy Davies, McEvoy and Oli Higginson combine to send Lucas Titherington over. A great score to finish the half at 17-5 to Lymm.
The second half saw Cleckheaton with the wind and slope and forty minutes to turn the game around. Five minutes into the half Cleckheaton crossed the line with a trademark forward drive. The away side now had their tails up, but Lymm managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over with another McEvoy penalty. Lymm started to dominate territory and possession and on 20 minutes scrum-half Andy Davies, who has brought so much control to the Lymm play in the second half of the season, scrambled over to make the score 27-10.
The game then entered a period of stalemate with Lymm camped in the Cleckheaton 22 unable to find the bonus point try and the away side defending doggedly and trying to run it from deep.
The final play had less to do with rugby and more to do with the boxing ring, as Cleckheaton’s frustrations boiled over into a mass brawl, which ended in a red card for both sides. Jordan Widdrington taking the rap for Lymm.
In the final analysis Lymm had been more clinical and had too much pace for a valiant Cleckheaton side. As the final whistle blew other results meant the Yorkshire side were relegated.
The game was a microcosm of Lymm’s season; some great passages of play and lovely scores, delivered with pace and skill but interspersed with periods of inaccuracy and drift. With a young and inexperienced team, maintaining focus and intensity for a full 80-minutes has proved difficult in what has been a hard season. In the final analysis the coaching team and players can however be very proud of their efforts in an extremely tough league. The squad has been expanded with the integration of new players such as Joe Watson and Ali Sutherland and the emergence of the Titherington brothers has been a great bonus. Roll on next season when the return of the absentees should mean a stronger squad ready to meet the challenges of playing the likes of Preston Grasshoppers.
After the game the players and spectators soon forgot the trials and tribulations of the season as the beer flowed and the fancy dress costumes were rolled out. A special mention to the Cleckheaton supporters who happily drowned their sorrows in the clubhouse afterwards, already looking forward to visiting pastures new next season. At the end of the day it’s only a game……………
Reflecting on the season events coach Adam Fletcher commented: “It was a great end to the season with four wins from the last five games. It was important that we did that as it gives us good momentum going into next season. Finishing 8th is not where we wanted to finish but with all the injuries and unavailabilities we’ve had its actually not bad at all. Lots of positives to take from the season but also a load of work to do if we want to keep improving and evolving as a squad.
“Already planning for pre-season and getting the squad into the best possible shape. Huge thanks to the Lymm faithful for watching us every week. It means a lot seeing a few friendly faces on those long trips away to the north east. Have a great summer.”
Team
Dan Horton, Adam Bray, Nick Ashton, Joe Watson, Will Baldwin, Matty Connelly, Jake Ashall, Oli Higginson, Andy Davies, Will Titherington, Michael Floyd, Lucas Titherington, Richard McEvoy, Joe Denman, Cormac Nolan, Jordan Widdrington, Ali Sutherland, Rhys Jones.
