Ormskirk First XV - 2nd December 2006
Ormskirk 21 Sefton 8
It wasn’t pretty but Ormskirk collected a valuable 2 points to help them ascend the South Lancs/Cheshire Division 2 league table as they beat newcomers to the league Sefton at home on Saturday.
Starting with yet another changed team due to injury Ormskirk were confident they would get a positive result from this fixture and demonstrated control for the majority of the match. The Sefton pack had the size advantage - even with Paul Blackwood and Dave Jones in the front row - but good technique from ‘Kirk would ensure Sefton didn’t push the home team off the ball. Against the run of play it was Sefton who scored the first points of the afternoon. The Ormskirk centre partnership of Mark Hutchings and Gareth Little were deemed to be off-side during a scrum. Their eagerness would pay off later with big hits and dump tackles going in to thwart Sefon’s midfield attacks.
After this penalty Ormskirk played with their heads. Back from injury fly-half Steve Stone punted the ball down the pitch. The pressure from the Ormskirk pack around the rucks caused Sefton forwards to put hands in, for which they were duly penalised. In quick succession scrum half Andy Healey put 6 points on the scoreboard with precise penalty kicks.
The first try of the game came from a driving maul starting on the opposition 22. Ormskirk forwards worked tirelessly darting either side, Healey dictated from the back and when he saw the gap himself went for it, darting over from close range after his pack had done the hard work.
Sefton’s reply was to keep punching the ball up but with the infamous ‘Kirk back row; Roberts, Molyneux and Mahood putting hits in all afternoon the opposition didn’t have much penetration. Ormskirk’s second try would eventually be finished off by Mahood as a break in the centres by Little disrupted Sefton’s defence, Mahood taking the ball on at pace demonstrated some nifty footwork skipping past a flat footed fullback. Steve Stone added the extras.
At 18 – 3 the Ormskirk crowd felt that this could be a try fest but too many handling errors were preventing Kirk from putting all the nails in the coffin. Good breaks from Andy Wroe on the wing more often than not resulted in an error - Ormskirk would have to be content with doggedly pushing up the park.
Late in the second half Sefton produced a piece of impressive running rugby that had the ‘Kirk defence stretched. Although they scored, it was too late to mount any realistic comeback. Only a couple of minutes before the end Steven Stone doing his best Terry Butcher impersonation handed kicking duties back to Healey who slotted a penalty taking the score to 21-8. Captain Kirkby was proud of his players and highlighted the importance of this victory. With the realisation that another win will take the team well up the table but a loss will make the season ever more tense Ormskirk will travel to Oswestry in two weeks in a buoyant mood.
