LATCHFORD Albion came out 28-24 winners in a pulsating encounter at Hindley – at the same time extending their lead at the top of the NWML Division One table.
They got off to a strong start and, in the opening minutes, the ball was worked along the line allowing wing, Gareth Fairhurst to squeeze in at the corner to open the scoring for the afternoon.
The hosts hit back almost immediately by registering a converted try but Albion soon scored again. The ball was switched from left to right and Matty Rudd fed Danny Brown, who ran a great line to cross next to the posts, Rudd adding the conversion.
The rest of the half belonged to Hindley who hit Albion with two quick tries. The first came when a kick to the Albion line was not cleared and the hosts won the race to the touchdown, and in the closing stages, a try from dummy half put the hosts in control at half time at 18-10.
As with the first half, the visitors started strongly and quickly reduced the deficit. The impressive Danny Brown burst through the Hindley defence to register his second try of the afternoon , Rudd adding the extras.
Hindley then hit back with a further converted try to restore their eight point lead, and at the hour mark they led 24 – 18.
The turning point came on 65 minutes. With the hosts looking for a score to take the game out of the reach of Latchford , second row Matty Nash picked up a wayward pass and raced 90 yards. Although he was hauled down just short of the Hindley line, a quick play of the ball saw hooker Josh McAllister feed Matty Rudd who cleverly dummied his way through a retreating defence. He also added the conversion to reduce the deficit to two points.
Albion now began to get on top with Charlie McCurrie making some valuable yards.
On 75 minutes Albion regained the lead. Scrum half Matty Ellis chipped over the oncoming Hindley defence, Matty Rudd collected and then fed Ellis who raced 25 yards to score a fantastic try, Rudd’s conversion giving the visitors a four point lead going into the final few minutes of the game.
A late Hindley attack was repelled, and the visitors held on for a crucial victory.
Coach Martyn Ellis said “ What we showed today was great character. It wasn’t from my perspective a good performance but we found a way to win against a decent side. The spirit within the group is fantastic and this will be tested further as we enter a pivotal stage of the season”
Next up for Albion is the visit of title rivals Dalton RLFC this Saturday which promises to be a fantastic encounter
Pictured is man-of-the-match Alex Davies, who controlled the game excellently from full back, and can be seen enjoying the attention of three Hindley defenders.
Latchford come out on top in pulsating encounter
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