WHAT a fantastic season it has been at Lymm RFC who finished on a high with a 42-22 victory over Billingham.
Who would have predicted at half time in the Cup match at Billingham 12 months ago that Lymm would go on to finish in a magnificent 6th / 7th place in the league and Billingham would be relegated ?
On that afternoon, two or three flashes of brilliance by Lymm’s backs settled the match in Lymm’s favour, but everyone knew that Billingham’s elusive backs could have done likewise, given sufficient ball.
It was much the same sort of encounter this time, with both teams committed to playing attractive, attacking rugby, interspersed with lapses of concentration, missed tackles and loose passes allowing the opposition to display wonderful counter-attacking rugby to the delight and exasperation of both sets of supporters, in turn.
Lymm have shown they can score tries against any team in the league, as evidenced by their 12 try-scoring bonus points, bettered only by Penrith. Unfortunately, they have also shown they can give them away. Apart from Rochdale, Lymm have conceded more tries than any other team in the league, picking up only one losing bonus
point all season.
Lymm scored three tries in the first half. Tom Darbyshire, Adam Bray and Sion Williams took it in turn to drive the ball forward and to secure possession, allowing Jack Johnstone to dance around Billingham’s bemused players to set up tries for Ashall and Fletcher. Another thrilling passage of play saw Joe Knowles throw a wonderful miss-pass to Dave Williamson for him to dive over in the corner. Lymm’s try scoring trio of Johnstone, Knowles and Williamson have scored 39 tries between them this season – feeding off of each other in each match – a tremendous effort all round at this level.
Each time Lymm scored, Billingham responded. Quick taps from penalties and excellent inter-passing saw them carve open Lymm’s sloppy defence to also go over the line three times. Two penalties and two conversions from Knowles, against only one conversion by Billingham saw Lymm in the lead at half-time 25 – 17.
Pivotal in this match, on 58 minutes, was Tom Bray’s length of the field run and try, just when it looked like it was Billingham’s turn to score. Tom’s mother was absolutely sure his foot had not touched the side-line, but thank goodness we don’t have touch-line technology. There would surely have been an appeal from Billingham !! Knowles’ off-the-post conversion stretched Lymm’s lead to 32-17, when it could easily have been 25-24.
Billingham deserved great credit in the second half for their willingness to run the ball at every opportunity, up the gentle slope and into a chilly breeze. Scrappy play meant that no side dominated. With the pressure off after Tom Bray’s try and with the only stress being self-induced, Dave Williamson intercepted on 65 minutes and off-loaded to Luke Emmitt who scored with his first touch of the ball, having replaced Fletcher in the centre. Conversion from the touch-line missed, Lymm now well ahead at 37 – 17.
Another excellent try was scored 3 minutes later, when quick release of the ball at the breakdown and good inter-passing saw Knowles touch down after a delicate chip forward by fleet-footed winger Johnstone. Three assists from Jack, but no try today.
With four minutes to go and the game won, Lymm’s concentration seemed to be focused on the after-match champagne celebrations. It was certainly not focused on defending at the front of the line-out, when enterprising play by Billingham set up the final try of the match. Lymm appeared not to want to tackle in mid-field, as if wanting to give Billingham their final moment of glory in National League Three North, which they gratefully and skilfully took with ease. We all hope to see them back in this league in 12 months time.
So, maybe not champagne rugby all season for Lymm, but what a phenominal achievement, ably led from the front by skipper Tim Oakes. The team’s early season and
end of season form has been second only to Stockport. And, like Billingham last week, they could and maybe should have beaten Stockport at their place. Bouncing back
so well after a confidence sapping eight losses out of ten in mid-season speaks oceans for the character, ability, team-spirit and determination of coaches and players alike. If only we had known then what we know now, the stress level of the spectators on the touchline would have been so much lower. Invaluable experience gained and lessons learned all round, and so much to look forward to next season.
League structure permitting, Lymm can look forward to renewing acquaintance with Altrincham Kersal and Burnage next season and maybe with Rowley, Hughes and Boundy in two years time !!!! 
Lymm team: 1 Harrison (S) 2 Oakes (capt) 3 Widdrington 4 Darbyshire 5 Williams 6 Higginson 7 Ashall 8 Bray (A) 9 Kinsey 10 Roberts 11 Johnstone 12 Fletcher 13 Bray (T) 14 Williamson
15 Knowles Replacements: Harrison ( R ) for Harrison (S) (30); Emmitt for Fletcher (65); Bennett for Williams (67).
