Ormskirk First XV Match Report - 17th Feb 2007
Ashton on Mersey 8- 25 Ormskirk
Ormskirk had already beaten Ashton this season so confidence was high going into the away tie. From the kick off Ashton had other ideas and a barrage of punching ball up the middle of the park and clever switching of runners back into the forwards saw Kirk on the back-foot. Within five minutes a stretched Ormskirk defence saw Ashton score in the corner. Although the conversion was missed a penalty shortly after saw the Manchester outfit go 8 points clear.
The first team decided to get their act together and tightened up their defence. Forwards were kept going by Tom Hopley at scrum half. Captain Cliff Kirby, playing at number 8, took the initiative. Catching the ball from a lineout and seeing a gap he sneaked through the forwards and somehow found himself at the beginning of a sprint from just outside his own 22 to the try line. Ashton had players in pursuit but Kirby managed to out-pace their winger and full back, going over in the corner. A difficult conversion was missed by General Ste Stone but the backs leader made amends by slotting a penalty several minutes later. Going into half time at 8-8 Kirk knew that Ashton were tiring and now was the time to take control.
The start of the second half saw Andy Healey come on at scrum half. Ormskirk - well aware of Ashton’s tactics of switching the ball back inside - kept their defence strong. Back in the swing of things Phil Davies made his trademark big hits while flankers Roberts and Molyneux floored most things that moved. When Ashton were penalised for off-side at a scrum Ste Stone played the advantage and from their own 22 the Kirk backs started playing the exciting rugby they are capable of. Hutchings in the centres put a miss ball out to Wroe who sped off. Through sheer out and out pace Wroe scored a peach, nearly the length of the pitch, beating several players. The confidence levels were visibly rising and for the remaining 20 minutes the first team turned the heat up.
By now Kirks defence was running like a well oiled machine, Dave Jones set the mark at the rucks. Lineouts were going much better in the second half, and scrums were steady and solid to give Healy clean ball. The backs began to spread the ball wide when they got it, using Rich Underwood and Chris Ashworth to break the gain line. It was during one such break that Underwood was able to feed the ball to Wroe who scored his second try of the afternoon with a searing run around his opposite number. Stone converted.
Ormskirk had more left in the tank. From a ruck in Ashton’s 22 Glyn Roberts made a dart. Handing off 2 players and bulldozing his way through the opposition back row he extended the lead to 8-25. More points may have been added had Ashworth spotted veteran prop Paul Blackwood sprinting down the wing as he took the ball off Johnny Bennett after a charge down but a win is a win and this result was much needed.
With 5 league games left over the next couple of months Ormskirk’s ambition is to make further progress and climb the South Lancs and Cheshire League II table.
