by Andy Leach
LYMM welcomed already relegated Stockport to Crouchley Lane on Saturday for their penultimate home match of the season and recorded a 29-14 victory.
On an afternoon which offered the prospect that fine conditions, the expectation of the Lymm contingent was that a third consecutive victory would be added to Lymm’s recent wins over Wirral and Ilkley. This expectation being a consequence of Lymm’s recent run of good form and Stockport’s failure to register a league win so far this season.
The reality was that Stockport proved to be a much harder nut to crack, demonstrating that their recent run of improving scores was no accident. It was clear to all watching that if Stockport can keep this band of players together and maintain the spirit they showed throughout, it won’t be long before they are once again guests at Crouchley Lane.
The Lymm team showed four changes in personnel from last week’s team sheet. The Tithertington brothers were given a well deserved break – having played a huge amount of rugby recently for an 18 and 17 year old – replaced by Mike Floyd and Toby Phillips. Dan Horton enjoyed a week on the sideline courtesy of the concussion protocol, with Nick Ashton back in the squad as a front-row replacement; and with Joe Watson unavailable, another injury returnee, Jack Harper, joined the bench.
As Stockport kicked off, there was a stiff breeze blowing the length of the pitch – a potentially favourable factor Lymm had decided to save for the second half. In the first couple of minutes Nolan made a sumptuous break from inside his own half to within 5m of the Stockport line and a Lymm try looked to be on the cards but a combination of Lymm’s sub-standard execution, dogged Stockport defence and, ultimately, the referee’s whistle meant that Lymm’s endeavours went unrewarded.
In fact, Nolan’s early break was, probably, the only clean break Lymm managed for the entire match. The post-match analysis would point to this passage of play being the first of 4 or 5 in the match when Lymm failed to come away with any points from a period of pressure in Stockport’s 22 – usually as a consequence of attracting the displeasure of Mr Arthur, the referee. Indeed a penalty count of 17-7 against (last week Lymm only conceded 4 penalties) thwarted Lymm’s endeavour, stacking the possession statistics significantly in Stockport’s favour.
In the first half Stockport used the wind intelligently and, on 12 minutes, following a march up-field from two consecutive penalties, a converted try from line-out catch and drive, gave them the first points of the afternoon. 0-7
On 22 minutes scrum-half Davies opened the Lymm account scurrying over from 20m exploiting a gap in the Stockport defence around the side of a ruck. Nolan’s simple conversion restored parity. 7-7
Stockport continued to show considerable enterprise and, on 27 minutes, almost regained the lead as their full-back was bundled into touch just short of the line by strong defence from McEvoy and Denman. Although, playing into the wind Davies used a clever kicking game putting the ball behind the Stockport defence and allowing it to hold up in the wind for the advancing Lymm backline. On 36 minutes Lymm did finally get their noses in front as Widdrington scored from 1m with his trademark “flop”. This followed patient play built on good work in the backs by Floyd and a couple of strong carries by Bray and Sutherland, which created a Widdrington sized hole in the Stockport defence. With the wind proving challenging Nolan failed to convert. 12-7
Lymm started the second half in a very positive manner and were soon, once again, camped in the Stockport 22. On 46 minutes, the pressure told from an attacking 5m scrum, when a textbook number 8 pick-up and feed to Davies put Phillips, normally a scrum-half himself but today playing in the unaccustomed position of wing, over in the corner. Nolan failed to add the challenging conversion. 17-7
Stockport weren’t finished though and on 55 minutes doubled their points tally with another forwards try. This time, a Lymm defensive scrum was penalised for an early strike and, following a tap penalty and several drives at the Lymm line, a Stockport forward forced the ball over the line to the referee’s satisfaction. 17-14
It was only on 70 minutes that Lymm managed to secure the try bonus point, when Ashall went over wide-out following a catch and drive from an attacking line-out. Again, Nolan narrowly missed the difficult conversion. 22-14
Then, on 73 minutes Lymm finally clicked and, from probably the best move of the match, added a fifth try. From deep in their own half, Lymm ran powerfully at the Stockport defence, switching the ball left, then right, and left again. Precision passing and outstanding support play, allowed Connolly to touchdown in the left corner. This time, following his two earlier sighting shots, Nolan added the two extra points with a high quality conversion. 29-14
This was the end of the scoring but Stockport kept going to the end and when the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match, it was Stockport who were camped in the Lymm 22.
Full Time: Lymm 29 – 14 STOCKPORT.
Team: 1) Mike Auden, 2) Adam Bray (c), 3) Jordan Widdrington, 4), Matty Connolly, 5) Will Baldwin, 6) Jake Ashall, 7) Ali Sutherland, 8), Oli Higginson, 9) Andy Davies, 10) Rhys Jones, 11), Toby Phillips 12) Rich McEvoy, 13) Mike Floyd, 14) Joe Denman, 15) Cormac Nolan, 16) Nick Ashton, 17) Jack Harper, 18) Tom Shard.
Lymm’s next game is on Saturday 8th April away to Morley KO 3.0pm.
