With a slightly disappointing season behind them, the Under 14s attended the Aldwinians Tournament boasting the best teams in Lancashire bar Aldwinians themselves and Preston who were competing for The Lancashire Cup today.To make matters more difficult, five regulars were absent due to injury and other commitments and even on the day another player cried off due to illness.
Having said this the lads selected were all up for it and several fringe players were keen to show that they deserve to be in the team whoever is available.The format of the tournament was that the ten teams were split, by draw, into two groups of five playing each other once in a seven minute each way match. The two teams at the top of each group would play each other in the final and the teams placed second would play for the plate trophy.
Game One: Ormskirk v Bury
Ormskirk were keen to avenge a narrow defeat by Bury in this season’s Lancashire Cup and were soon on the attack.A great break by Adam Selfe saw pressure on the Bury back line. A trademark break by Craig Ennis created panic in the Bury half and the ball eventually found its way to Kyle Hoy to burst through and score with Graham Bishop adding the extras.From the kick off a fine run by winger Tom Anderson saw him just pulled up five metres short of the line and from thr resulting ruck Arron Waggoner picked the ball up and dived over for try number two.
Half-time: Ormskirk 12  Bury 0
Bury were forced to attack to try and get back into the game but Ormskirk held firm and prevented them making any real headway into their half.
Full-time: Ormskirk 12  Bury 0
In the second game Ormskirk’s opponents were old rivals and current Lancashire Plate winners Tarleton-a real West Lancashire derby. Ormskirk were quickly on the attack and a superb run by Adam Selfe saw him in space and a neat off-load to Craig Ennis led to the first try converted by Matty White. Ormskirk kept up the pressure and a great drive through the line by John Woods saw him in space before off-loading to Arron Waggoner to go in for try two again converted by Matty White.
Half-time: Ormskirk 14  Tarleton 0
Ormskirk started the second half as they had ended the first with a fine individual try by Craig Ennis going over threequarters the length of the pitch to score, converted again by Matty White. Tarleton tried in vain to put pressure on the Ormskirk defence but the ball was well won by ‘Kirk and Luke Millington, improving with every game,drove the ball to safety.
Full-time: Ormskirk 21  Tarleton 0Â
After two difficult games ‘Kirk played Didsbury Toc H in the third,of what was likely to be their least challenging, game. In the first period Ormskirk cut loose with three well taken tries by Rob Hall,Olly Hogan and Craig Ennis with Graham Bishop adding a couple of conversions.
Half-time: Ormskirk 19  Didsbury Toc H 0
The second half brought little respite to a shell-shocked Didsbury team.In a short time Rob Hall grabbed his second of the game quickly followed by tries for Arron Waggoner and Luke Millington. Olly Hogan put the icing on the cake by going in for try number seven converted by Matty White.
Full-time: Ormskirk 41  Didsbury Toc H 0
The last game of the group stages was against Rossendale who mathematically stood an unlikely chance of pipping Ormskirk to The Cup final or at least getting to the Plate final so a hard match was predicted.After some early Rossendale pressure Ormskirk started to pick up the pace of the game and it was not long before Craig Ennis darted through to open the scoring. Rossendale looked eager to move the ball but some fiery Ormskirk tackling kept them pinned in their own half typified by a real bone cruncher by Pat Lloyd in the centre ,until once again Craig Ennis pounced on the ball and went in for try number two converted by Matty White.
Half-time: Ormskirk 12  Rossendale 0
Ormskirk were keen to wrap up the game and were soon on the attack.Rob Hall, having a fine tournament, saw a gap in the line and went over for try three.Rossendale to their credit came back int the game and deservedly scored a late try and conversion to make the score a little more respectable.
Full-time: Ormskirk 17  Rossendale 7
In the meantime Ormskirk had the advantage of watching the last game in the other pool between the undefeated West Park and Broughton Park teams.In a rip-roaring game a late West Park try confirmed that they would be Ormskirk’s opponents in the final. It was obvious that to stand any chance of winning that Ormskirk would have to move up a notch and be prepared to put their bodies on the line.
The final was started by a West Park kick-off and an early knock on soon saw ‘Kirk under uneccessary pressure.In their eagerness however West Park were caught off-side allowing ‘Kirk to clear their lines.It was at this time that Ormskirk started to excert some pressure on the West Park defence especially Tom Travis and Marcus Rylance in the pack showing real physicality in the set pieces.At a scrum West Park were penalised but the resulting kick went agonisingly wide.
Half-time: Ormskirk 0  West Park 0
From the kick-off Ormskirk were quickly into the oppositions faces and this led to a West Park handling error.’Kirk again moved forward but were held up.Eventually the pressure told when new boy Tom Owens saw the faintest of gaps and burst through to score. Ormskirk now steeled themselves for a mighty onslaught from the West Park team. However no matter how hard they tried West Park could not breach the magnificent Ormskirk defence and were left devastated as the final whistle blew.
Full-time: Ormskirk 5  West Park 0
As the lads went up to collect their medals and Captain Arron Waggoner lifted the trophy there was a mighty cheer from some very proud coaches,parents and family members.No one can say that this was a weakened Ormskirk team as any player playing today could hold their hand up and say I deserve to be playing in this team, irrespective of who is or isn’t available. Naturally it is this type of effort which gives the coaches a massive headache in terms of picking teams for big games since everyone is stepping up to the plate and producing quality performances. No doubt next season will hopefully see Ormskirk building on this sort of performance and can be pushing the likes of this season’s Lancashire cup finalists Aldwinians and Preston Grasshoppers. With the season nearly over the lads look forward to their presentation evening at the club house on Saturday the 9th of May, 7.30pm start and a final match against a touring Northampton side at 3pm on Saturday the 16th of May also at Green Lane.
