Second Half Comeback Not Enough

The away match at distant Billingham did not get off to the best of starts with two key players pulling out on the morning of the match, ROB PEARL (rib injury) and MATT LOON ( sickness), this was coupled with the fact that neither of the second rows, RYAN STEAD and PAUL LEWIS were available for selection. This alongside our extensive injury list did not bode well. For ROB PEARL, KEITH MAHON stepped up from the subs bench and BEN BROOKS was called up from the second team to play fullback with MARK WILLIAMS moving to wing in place of MATT LOON. CHRIS TYSON and JAMES REEVE came into the second row. The subs were STEVE PENDERGAST, MIKE WARREN and MARK GIDMAN .The latter having to be picked up from his home after a tour of the Bromborough housing estates, whilst still is his pyjamas!
Billingham playing with the strong wind were immediately on the attack and kept Wirral in their half of the field and it was as early as the 7th minute that the home side took the lead as the ball was played out quickly right creating an overlap for winger Marin Hopley to cross in the corner, converted by Peter Evans. 7-0. Wirral came back into the game and from this pressure declined a penalty opportunity and went for a scrum 5m out but could not convert this chance into points. In the early stages Billingham were using the wind to good effect. On 10 minutes, STUART GRATTON had to leave the field with an injury that he was already carrying before start of the match, STEVE PENDERGAST came on with JACK YARKER moving to prop but left Wirral with no front row alternatives for the rest of the match.
On 23 minutes Billingham doubled their lead when open play created space for the left winger Chris Hopkinson to beat his opposite number on the outside to score 5 m from the corner flag, again the try was well converted by Evans. 14-0. Two minutes later, Wirral scored a penalty through DAN HARVEY to reduce the deficit to 14-3.
Billingham’s first inclination when in their own half was to kick for touch, effective grubber kicks or test the Wirral back 3 but was an indicator as to how Wirral should play in the second half. At this stage Billingham were playing with all the confidence and from 15m out, full back Evans although tackled managed to stretch out and score and then convert his own try. In the minutes before half time, the home side scored their try bonus point when a pass out of tackle over the opposition gave Dan Burns a clear run in from 10m; all tries were well converted by Evans. This left Wirral with an uphill battle as they commenced the second half 28-3 down, although there had been pressure on the home side which Wirral had not taken advantage.
Playing with the wind put a different complexion on the game with Billingham rarely getting into the Wirral 20m area and it was the away side that spurned the chance early in the second half. On 45 mins the pressure told when KEITH MAHON crossed for a try wide out and this was well converted by DAN HARVEY. 28-10. MIKE WARREN came on for CHRIS BURROWS.
Wirral were now playing with more confidence and were going forward only for Billingham to keep on re offending and stopping the momentum. With the penalties mounting up against Billingham the referee’s patience gave and after a quick penalty was taken by Wirral, the home side wing forward impeded progress and was given a 10 minute rest. From the resultant play Wirral edged forward and the forwards controlling the ball edged over the whitewash and it was TOM PARRY who was awarded the try, the conversion was missed. 28-15 (60 mins). MARK GIDMAN came on for MARK WILLIAMS.
Much as Wirral applied pressure they could not cross the line and it was Billingham who were scrambling to clear/ give away penalties to prevent progress. Even though they had another player, No 8 (Michael Whinn) sin binned for persistent offending the minutes ticked away and the game lost.
If the team had played with as much spirit in the first half and kept the score down, then with the kickable penalties in their favour they may have been able to have salvaged something from this game. However with the number of changes and injuries to the team this season this was perhaps a game too far and with the benefit of a week off, Wirral are hopeful that some players on their injury list will be back in contention for selection for the next home game against Ilkley in early November.
P.S. The problems did not end there, the coach pulled in at Wetherby service station due to loss of water and we were there for three hours eating our way through all the snack bars and on leaving, 5 miles down the A1M it stopped again, this time for only 5 mins. It was after midnight when we arrived back at Clatterbridge and the bar was not open! All in all a bad end to a sad day. The good news was that we all had an extra hour in bed.

Richard McNeil