Lymm Lose out to leaders

LYMM Rugby Union lost out 24-37 to league leaders Chester in a captivating game at Crouchley Lane.
After a heavy defeat on their travels last week Lymm were looking to bounce back with an improved display. The home side was able to field the Bray brothers for their
debuts at this level for Lymm. Harrison was available again and Tom Darbyshire was recalled after impressing in the 2s. Head coach Kinsey picked himself at 9.
Lymm’s start was exhilarating spending 20 minutes camped in the Chester 22. Wave after wave of attack was repelled by the visitors’ outstanding, impressively disciplined,
defence. It was important Lymm took some points from this period of almost total territorial domination. They didn’t. Chester went ahead on 21 mins with a well worked try
by their centre. This rattled the home side and defensive shape deserted them on 27 when the outstanding Chester 10 exploited space with an exquisite chip and chase.
12-0 to the league leaders. Lymm found field position and from a catch and drive Ollie Higginson went over for his 3rd try of the season. Rowley notched the conversion from
the touch line. 12-7
A piece of poor refereeing allowed Chester to take another 3 points at half time to lead 15-7. The ref had a good game but missed three infringements leading to the crucial Chester penalty.
With a good restart Lymm may have taken the game again to Chester. However sloppy play at the set piece allowed the visitors in again on 46 mins and another penalty on 55 took the score to 25-7. Lymm must look at the penalty count to avoid wasting possession.
The much improved Jack Johnstone flew over on 57 after a lovely move with Dave Williamson. Rowley added the conversion to make it 25-14 to the vistors.
Chester were lucky again to score on 62. The home side was outstanding in their try line defence only for the ball to pop out of the side of the maul and allowing the Chester 9 to score. 30-14.
Thoughts of an unlikely win were replaced by the need for Lymm to notch a losing bonus point. They deserved something surely. Johnstone went over again on 66 to make the score 30-19 and then when the Chester 13 ran through 5 missed tackles to take it to 37-19 hope seemed lost.
Up stepped man of the match Dave Williamson. He scythed through the tiring Chester defence on the stroke of full time to make it 37-24 giving Lymm a vital point.
Williamson ,looking back to his classy best , acknowledged the new level of intensity required at this level saying “Scoring 4 tries and coming off the pitch disappointed with just a bonus point against a team tipped to win the league shows how far we have come as a club but we need to push on and turn good performances into wins.”
Coach Kinsey felt disappointed. “With respect to Chester, who were a very well organized outfit, we bombed two tries and gifted them two. It could have been very different. Errors in the last 2 games have given us a bigger task than Lazarus to get the win”.
Lymm travel to Bradford and Bingley on Saturday.
15 Dave Williamson 14 Jack Johnstone 13 Tom Bray 12 Mike Swetman 11 Andy Rowley 10 Andy Roberts 9 Chris Kinsey 1 Scott Harrison 2 Tim Oakes C 3 Jordan Widdrington 4 Tom Darbyshire 5 Sion Williams 6 Adam Bray 7 Ollie Higginson 8 Lee Pickles 16 Sam Mullarkey 17 Jake Ashall 18 Mark Sutton