First XV Match report – 01.03.08
Ashton on Mersey 14-15 Ormskirk
By the team’s own admission this wasn’t their best game of the season - however, Ormskirk’s First team have demonstrated the ability to play below par and still gain a victory. This was one of those occasions…..
Despite languishing at the lower end of the league table Ashton played a strong up-front game and enjoyed the greater percentage of territory and possession throughout Saturday’s fixture. It was Ormskirk who had the majority of defensive work to do and thankfully open-side flanker Mark Hutchings, back in the frame, made a season’s haul of tackles, keeping Ashton’s running fly-half from denting Kirk’s line.
The first points of the afternoon came from a kick over from Ashton. Andy Wroe on the right wing took the catch and spun the ball wide to left wing Peter Spengler. Spengler, the team’s speed merchant, made valuable yards and when taking contact managed to off-load to Wroe on the loop. From the half way mark, with two players to beat in open space, Wroe capped off the move with a sprint to the line. Scoring under the sticks left Whalley with a simple conversion which he duly slotted.
As expected the home team came back strongly. The running game that centres Matt Johnson and John Curly have recently become accustomed to developed into one of tackling the opposition. Arguably it was Kirk’s back row who were kept the busiest out of all the units on the park. Despite the strong defensive display Ashton broke through the fortress as their forwards momentum took a rolling maul over the try line before the half was though.
All level at the break and with no changes Kirk played with the wind advantage in the second half, utilising Whalley’s boot and gaining field position. The forwards put effective pressure at the set pieces. Davies and hooker Andy Wilson developed good timing in the line out and first phase ball more often than not led to 2nd and 3rd but mistakes would creep in along the way, slowing up play and progress. Kirk almost took the lead when Captain Kirby made a break at the side of a ruck but support play was a fraction late and a forced knock on led to turnover ball, a common story of the game in hindsight.
The real action in the game came in the final 10 minutes. After a disagreement in the scrums between Prop Paul Rowley and his opposite number (who had peculiarly nibbled on his ear, fortunately he didn’t try the same cannibalistic tendencies against tight head Paul Blackwood) Kirk won a penalty and edged their way down field with a kick. During a passage of running rugby a high tackle against scrum half Jamie Gregg gave Kirk a penalty which Whalley nailed to take the lead, 7-10.
Disaster for Kirk struck 5 minutes from time. It was a carbon copy of the try that Italy scored against England in the recent 6 nations match. Ashton’s flanker charged down Whalley’s clearance kick, and with no-one to beat a straightforward run in put the home team in front, 14-10.
Kirk’s reply saw the most direct rugby they had played in the afternoon. Finally they began attacking with conviction and pressured the hosts into the corner of their own 22. From a scrum Davies picked up, popped to Gregg who drew his man, off-loaded to Gump and the rest, they say, was history. Despite not getting the conversion the one point advantage was enough to win the game and earn a further 2 points for the table allowing them to enjoy the dizzy heights of 3rd in the league. Mathematically promotion is an option and the final 4 league fixtures against the other clubs in the top 5 will determine whether this is the reality.
Team P W D L F A Diff Pts Adjust
Dukinfield 18 13 1 4 340 253 87 27 0
Sefton 18 13 0 5 333 220 113 26 0
Ormskirk 18 10 2 6 326 228 98 22 0
Orrell Anvils 18 11 2 5 328 274 54 22 -2
Warrington 18 9 1 8 363 268 95 19 0
Wallasey 18 8 2 8 327 267 60 18 0
Oswestry 18 9 0 9 307 342 -35 18 0
Ashton on Mersey 18 8 0 10 264 287 -23 16 0
Southport 18 8 0 10 228 295 -67 16 0
Crewe and Nantwich 18 7 1 10 215 261 -46 15 0
Liverpool Collegiate 18 3 0 15 213 356 -143 4 -2
Oldershaw 18 4 1 13 219 412 -193 0 -9
