For the match against our Lancashire “neighbours” Rossendale (Ross), injuries incurred last week at Billingham necessitated changes to the team, with CRAIG HARVEY suffering a knee injury which will require an operation within the next 10 days. JAMES ANNETTS came into fly half with CHRIS CROWLEY starting at full-back. BEN BROOKS came into the team at left wing in place of JAMES ADAMS. JAMES REEVES was also injured last week so KEITH MAHON came off the subs bench to start at No.8. The subs were SAM BROADBENT, CHRIS HUGHES and MIKE WARREN.
Conditions for rugby were excellent with Wirral playing towards the main road. The first 15 minutes saw both teams testing out each other’s defences with play maintained between the 20m areas. Wirral were first to put pressure on Ross in their 20m area but a penalty enabled Ross to clear. On 17 minutes good play down the backs released Wirral winger MATT LOON who took play deep into the Ross 20m area. The Ross defence contained a number of thrusts from Wirral before DAN HARVEY forced his way over under the posts with JAMES ANNETTS converting. 7-0 (17 mins). Ross came back and for a period of time were camped in the Wirral 20m area, with the home team having difficulty clearing their lines. Ross were awarded a penalty in front of the posts which was converted by Lewis Allen- 7-3 (31 minutes). After 35 minutes, JAMES ANNETTS (injured) was replaced by SAM BROADBENT with CHRIS CROWLEY moving to fly half and DAN HARVEY to full back.
A great tackle and turnover by ROB PEARL enabled Wirral to advance deep into the Ross 20m area where pressure was again put on the away team line and after a series of thrusts, JOE MURRAY crossed over the whitewash close to the posts, which gave DAN HARVEY an easy conversion. 14-3 (37 mins). In the final minute of the first half, MATT DALTON made a break of some 40m before being taken out by a vicious high tackle. The offender the Ross centre was sin binned. From the offence some 37m out and close to the touch line, BEN BROOKS stepped up and converted the kick to give Wirral a 17-3 half time lead.
The third quarter had Wirral in complete control with a controversial start, Wirral were on the attack some 20m from the Ross line, when a Ross player was seen by some (not by me) to be stamping on a Wirral player, the referee was at this stage following play and must have seen something (see later), Ross cleared but the ball was still in play with Matt Loon running down the wing, a kick ahead and he was round his opposite number No 11, who then deliberately halted his progress with a deliberate trip this time seen by the referee. Neither player was sin binned although in respect of the latter offence he awarded a penalty where the ball landed some 10m from the Ross line. In the meantime in respect of the former offence he must have seen something as he spoke at length to the Ross captain. From the resultant penalty/line out Wirral moved forward only for KEITH MAHON to be denied on the basis of being held up over the line. From the next scrum the Wirral pack drove forward over the line only for Ross to infringe and the referee awarded Wirral a penalty try- 24-3 (47 mins).
Five minutes later Wirral are back down in the Ross 20m area and with good inter passing resulted in BEN BROOKS breaking through his tackler and would be tacklers to score (try bonus point) close to the line and duly converted by DAN HARVEY. CHRIS HUGHES came on for JACK YARKER and 2 minutes later, MIKE WARREN came on for KEITH MAHON. An interception at a line out by ROB PEARL took play into the Ross 20m area and after a bout of good passing, a pass from JOE MURRAY to CHRIS SPEED saw the big centre score under the posts but injured his shoulder in the process again converted by Dan. 38-3 (60 minutes) Several minutes later CHRIS had to retire and was replaced by KEITH MAHON.
Playing forwards in the backs gave Ross the opportunity to make ground and in the space of 15 minutes they scored 4 tries all of which were converted. The best of the tries came from their scrum half Harrison Moulding who shielded by his wing forward broke from a scrum 75m out to outpace the Wirral defence. Another came from a cross kick with the bounce going in favour of the Ross right winger but all the tries were well taken. Wirral were getting nervous at 38-31 at 75 minutes as they had not had the ball for some time, eventually they had possession and made progress downfield and were awarded a penalty some 20m out which DAN HARVEY converted to at least mean that Ross had to score twice.
Time went on and in the 50th minute of the half they were awarded a penalty, such a score would have given them another point and much to the coaches disgust went for touch. From this position near the Wirral try line they were awarded another penalty and at this stage were advised this was the last play of the game. A penalty in a wider position out right was taken and the ball went high past the left hand post leaving the score at 41-31 with Wirral earning 5 points and Ross 1.
Wirral now move up to 6th and have the advantage of another home match next week against Ilkley kick off 3.00 pm.

Richard McNeil