A really important win for Anselmians, away from home at Wirral, by 19-27. The Saints have some momentum going and they should move away from danger if they maintain this form. Dour, hard matches up in Cumbria where Widnes won narrowly at Aspatria 7-10 and Northwich just about defeated Carlisle 6-11 on a very sticky Warwick Road wicket. Broughton Park may have lost at Vale of Lune but so do most other teams, and the manner of their 19-10 defeat will have offered them encouragement going into the home stretch. Don’t write Park off just yet. Rochdale were good enough at home to beat visitors Wilmslow 18-6 while Liverpool St Helens won 27-19 against visitors Wigton who are also an improving outfit. Finally, our leaders Sandbach carried too much firepower for visitors Leigh and ran out 38-5 victors.

All sorts of permutations still possible at both ends of the table but expect to see continued improvement from the bottom 5 teams and maybe some shocks.

Aspatria 7-10 Widnes
This match was as tight as the score suggests and it was no day for expansive rugby as wind, sleet, hail and snow interrupted bright sunshine. An easy try for Widnes after just 3 minutes when Matty Smith gathered a kick placed behind the Aspatria defence to score. Andrew Riley converted and then kicked a penalty to give the visitors a 10-0 half time lead. It had been fairly even play during the first period but two incidents could have seen the visitors with a much greater advantage. A penalty kick from Riley was signalled good by the touch judges but overturned by the ref who ruled that it had drifted wide. Another cross kick behind the Aspatria defence appeared to have given the visitors a further try but a narrow offside decision was given in favour of Aspatria. As it happened neither affected the result. The second half saw good attacking play by the Aspatria pack and very good Widnes defence with the back row earning their orange juice. A couple of second half incidents involving the Number 9 jerseys almost changed the whole match. Firstly, the Widnes scrum half was asked to take a 10 minute rest and then Aspatria brought on their own Heinie Jonker at scrum half. There was immediate effect as the home pack got a forward push going and Jonker seized his chance to run in and he finished well. Clegg converted and at 7-10 with plenty of time to go it was all to play for. In the event there was no more scoring as Widnes cleverly retained possession and ran the clock down. Tough on the home side but Widnes also deserve credit for getting the job done.

Sandbach 38-5 Leigh
Sandbach connections will point to an error strewn 1st half performance by their lads but in the end they won, and won convincingly, against a Leigh side that tend to blow hot and cold. Leigh had blown hot when they inflicted a defeat on Sandbach earlier in the season but the leaders were far too good on a cold February afternoon at Bradwall Road. At the break Sandbach led with an easy try from Jack Leech and a couple of Ben Elliot penalties. Leigh were more than just in contention with a cracking try from Chris Morgan after splendid handling against a strong wind. 11-5 at the break. As so often is the case, playing against the elements sees the ball coming in to the receiver instead of going away and the Sandbach slick passing took its toll on the big Leigh lads. Leech completed a hat trick, Richard Murray added another and Ali Burton got one for the heavies to give the home side 27 further 2nd half points without reply. Nearly there for the Cheshire outfit and Leigh in no real trouble comfortably sitting in mid table.

Carlisle 6 Northwich 11
Northwich travelled to Carlisle with a good level of support and with the last few games showing greater discipline. The reverse fixture back in October had been a 50-0 drubbing for the City lads but on an extremely heavy pitch at Warwick Road this was a potential loser for the visitors. Carlisle fielded an unrecognisable side from the first encounter and the talk around the clubhouse pre match was of Quantitive Easing or QE 4. Either way the big Cumbrian pack would provide Northwich with a severe test in the ever changing weather blowing in off the Solway Firth.

The visitors attempts to run the ball were soon abandoned as the pitch dictated play and any attempt to break out were inevitably stopped by a slip on difficult underfoot conditions. So, it was to be a match played out by the forwards with Carlisle having a recent victory over LSH on the same ground just a couple of weeks ago. A Grant Hallum penalty for Northwich broke the deadlock and just before half time Glen Weightman took the opportunity to drop a goal off his wrong foot to draw level. HT 3-3

The second half started well for the visitors when the front row combined well in a driving maul to allow man of the match, prop Lawrence Gray to score close to the flag. A long period of midfield play ensued with both defences holding off the ceaseless attacks through the forwards. Two breaks, from Joel Barber and then Jason Brown for the visitors looked certain to end in scores but excellent covering by Carlisle denied them. When Hallum kicked another penalty with 5 minutes left on the clock to take Northwich 11-3 ahead, it looked all over but Weightman responded in kind and the clock ran down to the final whistle. All of the Northwich front-five deserve credit and Joel Barber continues to develop along with several other former colts in the side.

Wirral 19-27 Anselmians
Simon Mason put the visitors in front with a well struck penalty in front of 300 or so spectators. A good number of visiting supporters were braving the elements after heavy rain and a short trip across to Clatterbridge. The two Harvey brothers combined well to put Mark Gidman in for his 1st Wirral try.

The Saints replied with a penalty but then a killing 5m penalty from the visitors was taken quickly by Loa Tupou who crashed over. As our Wirral correspondent comments, “a difficult player to stop so close to the line”. Mason’s conversion took the score to 5-13 and a Wirral penalty that just went wide signalled half time.

With the wind now Wirral opted for kicking long and it paid dividends when a penalty was given and Danny Harvey kicked through and Craig Harvey capitalised upon a defensive error to score. The same player converted and we were back to 12-13. The Wirral long kick policy came to grief when one was charged down and Anselmians made their way up-field for a score by prop Tavita Haunge improved by Mason. Plenty of time left and Wirral were the next to score in this see-sawing match despite increasing possession by the visitors. With the long kick continuing to be the main attack weapon Wirral took play into touch 5m out. Eventually Craig Harvey managed to cross under the posts and he made it 19-20 in short order. A clash of heads between two Wirral players caused a longish stoppage but immediately afterwards Anselmians administered the “coup de gras” when the burly figure of Tupou once again smashed over from no distance. Mason converted and, by common accord, the Saints deserved their victory. With 7 games to play now Anselmians need to keep injury free and they look likely to escape the bottom 3 spots.

Liverpool St Helens 27-19 Wigton.
Wigton are winning at home and nearly claimed a big scalp on the road as they went down at Moss Lane by an eight point margin. LSH started well with a Cunliffe double act seeing Matt Cunliffe score and Worsley adding the conversion. By all accounts Wigton then came into the game strongly after a number of uncharacteristic LSH errors. Gregg Smith capitalised upon an interception to cross for

Wigton and the same player kicked a penalty to take his side ahead. It could have been even worse for the home side when Wigton prop Dave Waning intercepted in his own half, pinned his ears back and made for home and glory. Props are, however, built for short sprints and Waning valiantly ran out of gas just before the line and LSH cleared. It was rough justice therefore when just before the break LSH scored through a good move that lock Mark Williams finished off. 12-8 HT

The second half saw much improved play by the home side and the evergreen Kearns finished off a catch and drive to go over. 2 Gregg Smith penalties for Wigton kept them interested but Matt Cunliffe scored again wide out after good forwards work. 22-14 and then a break from play as Wigton prop Lynsay Walker sustained a neck injury and an ambulance was needed. Walker eventually returned to Wigton with the coach 4 hours late and is said to be OK. Dave Cunliffe scored a try and the biggest cheer of the day accompanied Wigtons galloping prop Dave Waning who scored gloriously to compensate for earlier disappointment. As yet no reports are available as to whether the waiting Wigton team spent the 4 post match hours in the LSH clubhouse or in the Whiston Hospital car park. Let us hope that it was the former.

Vale of Lune 19-10 Broughton Park.
A good result albeit in a relative sense for the travelling Park faithful. They might have expected worse but in the event they were still pointless on the way home.

Broughton Park started well but play was confined to midfield for long periods of the first half that eventually ended as it had began at 0-0. They are not used to 0-0 at Powderhouse Lane. Jonny Thomas for the visitors sustained a neck injury that held play up for 20 minutes before being shipped off for medical inspection. This tended to dampen enthusiasm for some time continuing into the second half. Indeed it was 50 minutes before Vale scored and then they got three very quickly through Perry, Ball and James Hodder. Carter added two conversions before Park entered the fray and Ade Titiloye and Guy Barlow both crossed well. There was no fairy tale ending for the visitors who will, nevertheless take great heart from the score-line and their 1st half performance. Jonny Thomas returned to catch the coach on a day when several injuries were reported.

Rochdale 18-6 Wilmslow
Wilmslow can’t buy a win at the moment but Rochdale made heavy weather of matters before getting their act together via skipper Rob Neave. It was Wilmslow that started the best and several decent moves were spoilt by handling errors before they were awarded a penalty that Bob MacCallum kicked easily. Rochdale, who were also guilty of poor handling, finally broke through the stubborn Wolves’ defence when captain Rob Neave cleverly broke the line and ran in to open the home account with Mike Bradwell adding the two points and then a further penalty. Wilmslow had time for MacCallum to kick another penalty and half time came with the score 10-6.

Newcomer Richard West had made some telling passes for the home side but the Rochdale wings generally saw very little decent ball. A snowstorm descended upon proceedings and the play became ragged. Rochdale were in control and Bradwell kicked another penalty but Wilmslow missed a similar opportunity from right in front. After a long period, when the Rochdale pack was camped on the Wilmslow 5m line without really threatening, the wide ball was finally used to effect and James Flitcroft went over in the corner to score. Bradwell hit the post with his unsuccessful conversion kick. No more scoring and, as the Rochdale scribe writes “a was an unforgiving day”. His comment was echoed across the whole 7 matches played. An unforgiving day indeed.