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Sat 26 Sep 2015 ·  National League Three North
Sheffield Tigers
1st XV
16
10
Tries: M LoonConversions: C HarveyPenalties: C Harvey
Tigers Claw Their Way to Victory
Andrew Broadbent27 Sep 2015 - 12:50
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League leaders snatch the lead in the last 2 minutes to leave Wirral with only a losing bonus point to show for an excellent performance.
For the match away at Sheffield Tigers, where snow shovels were not required this year, Wirral had to make a late change 30 minutes before the coach was due to leave. JASON GREEN had suffered a hand injury and was hoping it would enable him to play so at the last moment second team hooker and newcomer to the club, STUART GRATTON stepped up for his debut. With CHRIS HUGHES not being available, on international duty (I bet he wished he had stayed at home), ROSS PAGE came in at prop with STEVE PENDERGAST on the bench where he was joined by CHRIS BURROWS and JAMES REEVES, the remainder of the team was as per last week.
The match was played in ideal conditions on a sandy pitch and the home side were immediately on the attack demonstrating the type of game they were going to play and were awarded 3 penalties in quick succession , with the third, fly half, Mark Ireland converted, 3-0 (7 minutes). Back came ST with a backs move which saw them make 70m before Wirral managed to get back in numbers and stop the attack.
Gradually Wirral gained possession and worked their way into the game. A cross kick came in from CRAIG HARVEY which winger, MATT LOON chased, the ST winger, Henri Pachard won the race but then lost the ball, Matt was first to react only to be deliberately prevented from playing the ball, this was the last line of ST defence. The referee sent the ST winger off with a yellow card. A 5m line out gave Wirral the opportunity to maul forward and a quick release to CRAIG allowed him to delay his pass to MATT LOON, who swept through the gap to score close to the posts, duly converted to give Wirral a 3-7 lead (14 mins).
Whilst there was no more scoring in the first half, both teams were able to apply pressure on each other’s 20m areas, but the best opportunity fell to Wirral where a long kick to touch gave the away side possession from the ST line and the forwards gradually inched forward. JACK YARKER was held inches from the line and popped up a pass and Wirral scored, only for the try to be disallowed for a forward pass. If other forwards had got behind Jack they may have been able to propel him over the whitewash. At half time, STEVE PENDERGAST and JAMES REEVES came on for ROSS PAGE and CHRIS SPEED respectively.
After a 10min break at half time, ST came out with greater determination to break this stubborn Wirral defence and were using their backs even more. After an easy penalty miss by ST it was Wirral who extended their lead with a CRAIG HARVEY penalty, 3-10 (60 mins). The lead was short lived as Ireland converted a penalty from in front of the sticks to reduce the deficit to 6-10 (63 mins). ROSS PAGE and CHRIS SPEED came on for STEVE PENDERGAST and JAMES REEVE. CHRIS BURROEWS came on for TOM PARRY, the latter having a hand/arm injury.
ST were now being roared on by the large partisan home crowd and a try was missed when full back Swatkins dropped the ball with the line at his mercy. With the next penalty that ST were awarded in the Wirral 20m area, wide out, Ireland went for touch rather than kick for goal (obviously England were watching the tactics here). From the pressure mounted the ball came wide to Tom Outram who although tackled managed to get the ball down over the line, the conversion was missed as for the second time today the ball came back off the upright. 11-10 (71 mins).
Any ball that ST now got was kicked downfield as they strove to protect the narrowest of leads until a break with 2 mins ago gave winger James Broadley the chance to set up Peter Swatkins to score. The conversion was missed, which in some ways was justice as it allowed Wirral to earn a losing bonus point for a game in which they had held the lead for almost 60 mins. It was a relieved ST crowd who welcomed the final whistle as this the second home game in a row where they have won the game in the dying minutes.
This was an excellent performance by this Wirral side in a game which on another day they might have won if they had taken the few opportunities they had to score.
Next week Wirral are at home to Lymm, where the club will be holding a mini beer festival, so leave the car at home and enjoy the beers and that must win Australia game.
Richard McNeil
The match was played in ideal conditions on a sandy pitch and the home side were immediately on the attack demonstrating the type of game they were going to play and were awarded 3 penalties in quick succession , with the third, fly half, Mark Ireland converted, 3-0 (7 minutes). Back came ST with a backs move which saw them make 70m before Wirral managed to get back in numbers and stop the attack.
Gradually Wirral gained possession and worked their way into the game. A cross kick came in from CRAIG HARVEY which winger, MATT LOON chased, the ST winger, Henri Pachard won the race but then lost the ball, Matt was first to react only to be deliberately prevented from playing the ball, this was the last line of ST defence. The referee sent the ST winger off with a yellow card. A 5m line out gave Wirral the opportunity to maul forward and a quick release to CRAIG allowed him to delay his pass to MATT LOON, who swept through the gap to score close to the posts, duly converted to give Wirral a 3-7 lead (14 mins).
Whilst there was no more scoring in the first half, both teams were able to apply pressure on each other’s 20m areas, but the best opportunity fell to Wirral where a long kick to touch gave the away side possession from the ST line and the forwards gradually inched forward. JACK YARKER was held inches from the line and popped up a pass and Wirral scored, only for the try to be disallowed for a forward pass. If other forwards had got behind Jack they may have been able to propel him over the whitewash. At half time, STEVE PENDERGAST and JAMES REEVES came on for ROSS PAGE and CHRIS SPEED respectively.
After a 10min break at half time, ST came out with greater determination to break this stubborn Wirral defence and were using their backs even more. After an easy penalty miss by ST it was Wirral who extended their lead with a CRAIG HARVEY penalty, 3-10 (60 mins). The lead was short lived as Ireland converted a penalty from in front of the sticks to reduce the deficit to 6-10 (63 mins). ROSS PAGE and CHRIS SPEED came on for STEVE PENDERGAST and JAMES REEVE. CHRIS BURROEWS came on for TOM PARRY, the latter having a hand/arm injury.
ST were now being roared on by the large partisan home crowd and a try was missed when full back Swatkins dropped the ball with the line at his mercy. With the next penalty that ST were awarded in the Wirral 20m area, wide out, Ireland went for touch rather than kick for goal (obviously England were watching the tactics here). From the pressure mounted the ball came wide to Tom Outram who although tackled managed to get the ball down over the line, the conversion was missed as for the second time today the ball came back off the upright. 11-10 (71 mins).
Any ball that ST now got was kicked downfield as they strove to protect the narrowest of leads until a break with 2 mins ago gave winger James Broadley the chance to set up Peter Swatkins to score. The conversion was missed, which in some ways was justice as it allowed Wirral to earn a losing bonus point for a game in which they had held the lead for almost 60 mins. It was a relieved ST crowd who welcomed the final whistle as this the second home game in a row where they have won the game in the dying minutes.
This was an excellent performance by this Wirral side in a game which on another day they might have won if they had taken the few opportunities they had to score.
Next week Wirral are at home to Lymm, where the club will be holding a mini beer festival, so leave the car at home and enjoy the beers and that must win Australia game.
Richard McNeil
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