Lymm get a lesson in precision

LYMM’S relatively youthful, and at times naive, approach meant they received a lesson in precision at this levelas they went down 12-32 at home to a Chester team striving for promotion.
As Lymm’s coach Kinsey was to say after the game, “We knew that mistakes would be punished and talked about it beforehand.”
On a warm, sunny day, Lymm, with youthful exuberance, started brightly, pushing the visitors back to their line for a full 12 minutes. Chester’s prop was sin binned for pulling down a rolling maul near the line, before Lymm’s lock forward Tom Darbyshire dived over in the left hand corner, for fly half, Tom Smith to superbly convert from wide out.
But, as Lymm’s further chances literally kept slipping through their fingers, Chester started to show their forward strength and running flair, moving the ball swiftly across the back line for a winger’s try after 19 minutes to make it 7 – 5.
If accuracy and decisiveness defined Chester for the next 45 minutes, imprecision and indecisiveness defined Lymm. Someone also pressed the ‘fast forward’ button on Chester’s full back Tom Foden, brother of England’s current full back, who went through his full repertoire of illusive running and passing skills. Fast full backs clearly run in this family. Chester’s next score followed a searing break from the full back on 30 minutes, with the left winger going over in the corner to make it 7 – 13, following the conversion.
Lymm’s flanker Alex Isherwood was replaced by the forthright Tim Oakes, adding his customary bite to Lymm’s defensive system but even he could not help stem wave after wave of the flowing, free-running rugby now being exhibited by the visitors. A further try followed in the 35th minute to make it 7-18 and, just before half time came the try of the match. Chester’s fly half, who was apparently much missed for most of last season through injury, received the ball from the scrum and, in a move rarely seen at this level following first phase, jinked one way then the other, to break through Lymm’s defence. He then fed his centre to go under the sticks to make it 7 – 25 leaving Lymm with a mountain to climb.
Adam Bray, Lymm’s industrious no 8 was the pick of his pack but with Foden and his fleet-footed chums in this mood, the last thing Lymm needed to do was keep kicking the ball to them. To the crowd’s amazement that is what they continued to do. Lymm also continued to fall off first time tackles and this proved lethal against such a confident pack and speedy back division.
Lymm’s Dave Williamson, who had had a torrid afternoon in the centre, recovered his composure to steal the ball at the breakdown and feed right winger, Rich McEvoy who sprinted over for an unconverted try to make it 12-25 after 52 minutes. Whatever perceived window of opportunity seemed to open at this point to get back in the game, was slammed shut firstly with Adam Bray’s sin-binning for repeated offending then, as Chester, attacking from their own 22, worked the ball down the left for the winger to score the final points of the match; a converted try on the hour, making it 12-32. Poor Lymm handling then prevented the hosts from making any headway and both sides gave a mediocre display of holding rugby in the final quarter.
Coach Kinsey was looking for as many positives as he could after the game.
“We can take a lot of confidence from this match in terms of defence and attack. We are short of four of our key players today and Chester are a top of the table team. We can only improve.”