Ormskirk 3rd XV 45 V Carrington 2nd’s 5
After losing for the first time in a little over a month against a strong LSH outfit the previous weekend, skipper Ian Critchley was been looking for a much improved performance against Carrington, who belie their lowly status with an attitude few teams across the leagues could match. However, it was Ormskirk who came away with a solid victory, braving a vicious North-Easterly wind and a more vicious Scotsman.
Indeed it was the third team, with an average age of below 40 for the first time in three seasons, who began the brighter, centre Dave Hesketh using the headwind to pin Carrington back in their own 22. With such a strong breeze the lineouts were unsurprisingly reduced to little more than a jumping contest. It was from one such line-out that Ormskirk turned over Carrington ball and after some excellent retention from the forwards, in particular Colin Sinclair who made carry after carry throughout the game, saw Ormskirk score in the corner through Mark Dawe who scored his first senior try. The conversion was excellently slotted by fly-half Coulson.
Ormskirk now began to boss the game, and with the confidence oozing through the Green men’s veins, another sweeping move saw Winger Dawe double his tally with another score in the corner.
The influx of students into the third team has no doubt been of help to captain Critchley, with a blend of youth and experience now on show. This came to the fore once more as some excellent hands from the backs saw new recruit Henry (Honiball) Frankle show great athleticism to weave his way into the corner.
After this the memory becomes somewhat hazy, possibly through a mixture of exhaustion and a bang to the head. However further tries from Full-Back Ian Devine, cutting a superb line to score from nigh on 60 metres was the pick of the bunch. Ormskirk turned round at half-time to face the North-Easterly with a comfortable 40-0 lead, a deserved reward for some good all round play.
However a torrid second half, particularly for the assembled masses who now come to watch the thirds play, was endured by all. Ormskirk committed a number of silly errors, as well as a lack of ball retention, to give Carrington a chance to strut their stuff in attack. Indeed Carrington deservedly scored around 10 minutes into the second half, to restore some pride and respectability to the scoreline. But for some desperate last ditch tackling, Carrington may well have added to the scoreline, as Kirk paid for switching off early in the second half. It was at this stage that the game became somewhat scrappy, with neither side showing the necessary application to keep hold of the ball and launch an attack. However Ormskirk had the final say with super sub Neil (Surname here) rumbling over for the final score, leaving Ormskirk with a 45-5 victory.
Many thanks as always to Carrington for their excellent hospitality.
Hope Valley in the Halbro Plate awaits the thirds at Green Lane next week in what has already been confirmed as a sell-out, will the thirds be able to reproduce the form that has seen them climb the table after four straight defeats at the beginning of the season?
