Back
Sat 01 Oct 2016 · National League 3 North
Billingham
1st XV
35
12
Tries: K Mahon, C HarveyConversions: J AnnettsYellow Carded: C Harvey, D Harvey
Billingham Dominate Wirral
Andrew Broadbent3 Oct 2016 - 08:57
Share via
The home side used their speedy back-line to great effect.
This was Wirral’s third visit to Billingham and they have yet to register a victory there. It is not helped being the longest away trip, which necessitates a 9.00am start and some players coming off shift work to travel without any meaningful sleep.
There were two changes to the side, RYAN HIGGINSON starting with CHRIS HUGHES on the bench and ADAM SHELDON coming in on the wing for MATT LOON, whose wife had just given birth to a daughter a couple of days earlier.
Wirral played against the slight wind in the first half and started brightly when Billingham knocked on, giving Wirral a scrum advantage in their 20ms area but it was the home side who took the lead through Peter Evans after 6 minutes with a penalty from 20m. It was apparent that Billingham were keen to get their backs into the game as their fly half controlled the game and his miss passes soon brought their outside centre into space. At this stage Wirral were having territorial advantage but could not press home any small advantage they had. A long kick downfield from Wirral caught the Billingham defender behind his own line and the subsequent pass out went forward. From the resultant 5m scrum Wirral were penalised despite the Billingham scrum half coming round the scrum, which the referee acknowledged afterwards should have been penalised, the chance was lost.
Billingham granted a penalty and Wirral assume they will kick for touch but instead they play it through their hands and make 60m into the Wirral 20m area and have a number of thrusts at the Wirral line but lose the ball and Wirral eventually clear. Whilst there are a number of penalties to each side, the referee was missing much, an aspect that was upsetting both sets of players. On 28 minutes Billingham extend their lead to 6-0 when Wirral player put in a great tackle only to fall to the wrong side. JAMES REEVE comes on for CHRIS TYSON on 28 minutes. Three minutes later the lead is extended to 9-0 when Peter Evans coverts a penalty from 35m left of the posts.
The final 5 minutes of the first half decided the course of this match. The Billingham centre made a break in mid-field and a couple of passes later saw Elliott Husband score and converted by Peter Evans. Straight from the kick off, Billingham were immediately on the attack, the kick ahead was collected by Wirral but touch was not found. Back came Billingham and at this stage Wirral were missing too many tackles and culminated in the Billingham No 8 Dan Dixon scoring near the posts, again converted by Evans to give the home side a 23-0 lead at half time.
On 48 minutes, KEITH MAHON came on for CHRIS BURROWS. Again Billingham were on the attack but Wirral were playing with more purpose and an attack was broken up when the ball was stolen by JACK YARKER. A further penalty to Billingham saw them take the penalty quickly and it allowed centre, Luke Wilson to stretch out in the tackle to touchdown, the conversion was missed, 28-0 (50 mins). CHRIS HUGHES on for JACK YARKER.
55 minutes, Billingham were on the attack which was broken up by an obstruction by CRAIG HARVEY only for him to be attacked and punched by Billingham prop, Steve Hutchinson. A melee broke out and when the referee gained control the initial offenders were yellow carded. A punch thrown should have resulted in a red card but the referee declined to give. Play had been fractious throughout the game as the home side reacted to a number of tackles. Gradually Wirral were working their way into this game and putting a number of plays together and a break came with KEITH MAHON scoring from some 15m out, the conversion was missed, 28-5 (65 mins). On 69 mins, CHRIS TYSON came on for PAUL LEWIS. This was followed by a quickly taken penalty by JAMES ANNETTS where he made some 50m and good interplay left MARK WILLIAMS just failing to score but having the benefit of a 5m scrum but Wirral could not get over the whitewash. Eventually Billingham cleared and a kick through by the home team resulted in another Wirral player, DAN HARVEY receiving a yellow card. From possession in the Wirral 20m area, Billingham passed the ball through a number of hands before hooker Sean Wallace dived over for the bonus point try and again converted. 35-5 (78 minutes). In the final minute, Wirral again applied pressure and a break in the Billingham 20m area by CRAIG HARVEY enabled him to cross close to the posts and was converted by JAMES ANNETTS.
This was a disappointing performance against a confident Billingham side playing in front of their partisan home crowd and following a recent comprehensive win against Waterloo a couple of weeks ago. It is back to the drawing board for coach MATT CAIRNS for next week’s game at home to Hull, which will be another stiff test if last season’s matches are anything to go by.
Richard McNeil
There were two changes to the side, RYAN HIGGINSON starting with CHRIS HUGHES on the bench and ADAM SHELDON coming in on the wing for MATT LOON, whose wife had just given birth to a daughter a couple of days earlier.
Wirral played against the slight wind in the first half and started brightly when Billingham knocked on, giving Wirral a scrum advantage in their 20ms area but it was the home side who took the lead through Peter Evans after 6 minutes with a penalty from 20m. It was apparent that Billingham were keen to get their backs into the game as their fly half controlled the game and his miss passes soon brought their outside centre into space. At this stage Wirral were having territorial advantage but could not press home any small advantage they had. A long kick downfield from Wirral caught the Billingham defender behind his own line and the subsequent pass out went forward. From the resultant 5m scrum Wirral were penalised despite the Billingham scrum half coming round the scrum, which the referee acknowledged afterwards should have been penalised, the chance was lost.
Billingham granted a penalty and Wirral assume they will kick for touch but instead they play it through their hands and make 60m into the Wirral 20m area and have a number of thrusts at the Wirral line but lose the ball and Wirral eventually clear. Whilst there are a number of penalties to each side, the referee was missing much, an aspect that was upsetting both sets of players. On 28 minutes Billingham extend their lead to 6-0 when Wirral player put in a great tackle only to fall to the wrong side. JAMES REEVE comes on for CHRIS TYSON on 28 minutes. Three minutes later the lead is extended to 9-0 when Peter Evans coverts a penalty from 35m left of the posts.
The final 5 minutes of the first half decided the course of this match. The Billingham centre made a break in mid-field and a couple of passes later saw Elliott Husband score and converted by Peter Evans. Straight from the kick off, Billingham were immediately on the attack, the kick ahead was collected by Wirral but touch was not found. Back came Billingham and at this stage Wirral were missing too many tackles and culminated in the Billingham No 8 Dan Dixon scoring near the posts, again converted by Evans to give the home side a 23-0 lead at half time.
On 48 minutes, KEITH MAHON came on for CHRIS BURROWS. Again Billingham were on the attack but Wirral were playing with more purpose and an attack was broken up when the ball was stolen by JACK YARKER. A further penalty to Billingham saw them take the penalty quickly and it allowed centre, Luke Wilson to stretch out in the tackle to touchdown, the conversion was missed, 28-0 (50 mins). CHRIS HUGHES on for JACK YARKER.
55 minutes, Billingham were on the attack which was broken up by an obstruction by CRAIG HARVEY only for him to be attacked and punched by Billingham prop, Steve Hutchinson. A melee broke out and when the referee gained control the initial offenders were yellow carded. A punch thrown should have resulted in a red card but the referee declined to give. Play had been fractious throughout the game as the home side reacted to a number of tackles. Gradually Wirral were working their way into this game and putting a number of plays together and a break came with KEITH MAHON scoring from some 15m out, the conversion was missed, 28-5 (65 mins). On 69 mins, CHRIS TYSON came on for PAUL LEWIS. This was followed by a quickly taken penalty by JAMES ANNETTS where he made some 50m and good interplay left MARK WILLIAMS just failing to score but having the benefit of a 5m scrum but Wirral could not get over the whitewash. Eventually Billingham cleared and a kick through by the home team resulted in another Wirral player, DAN HARVEY receiving a yellow card. From possession in the Wirral 20m area, Billingham passed the ball through a number of hands before hooker Sean Wallace dived over for the bonus point try and again converted. 35-5 (78 minutes). In the final minute, Wirral again applied pressure and a break in the Billingham 20m area by CRAIG HARVEY enabled him to cross close to the posts and was converted by JAMES ANNETTS.
This was a disappointing performance against a confident Billingham side playing in front of their partisan home crowd and following a recent comprehensive win against Waterloo a couple of weeks ago. It is back to the drawing board for coach MATT CAIRNS for next week’s game at home to Hull, which will be another stiff test if last season’s matches are anything to go by.
Richard McNeil
Further reading
Team Sponsors
