Altrincham Kersal 11 (Try: Davidson. Pens: Ashman 2.).
Westoe 12 (Tries: Hagen, Gibson. Con: Hagen.)
Westoe were first on the scoreboard with a try from flanker Karl Gibson in the 12th minute which was converted by winger Paul Hagen for a 7-0 lead. Just before the half hour mark the home side pulled three points back with a Kim Ashman penalty goal in what was the final score of the half.
Just two minutes into the second half and Hagen went over for the second Westoe try he could not convert and the visitors led 12-3.
Just before the hour mark the home side went in for a try as right wing Simon Davidson scored but Ashman failed to convert.
He did narrow the gap to a point with a late penalty goal but it was Westoe who got the win and their first two points of the season whilst the home side went down to a second successive defeat. .
Birkenhead Park 17 (Tries: Clarke, Brennand. Cons: McPherson 2. Pen: McPherson.).
Stockport 10 (Try: Oakes. Con: Hopkinson. Pen: Hopkinson.)
Report courtesy of Stockport.
It was never going to be an easy trip to Birkenhead Park. It wasn’t going to be made easier with the absences in the forwards of the injured Peter Bredenkamp and working Paul Ralph. Si Drew was also unavailable. Gregor Davidson would start in the 2nd Row alongside the full fit Tim Oakes with Dave Oakley coming in on the flank. Owen Lucas had failed to recover from an ankle injury picked up the previous week. A familiar face filled his place. Marc Smith took up his old position in the centre with Dan Eccles moving to wing.
As the game got underway it was the home side who seized the initiative. They subjected Stockport to 20 minutes of constant pressure. As is so often the case, penalties were conceded. What was alarming was the rate that they came. It felt as if every stop in play was greeted with the referee awarding yet another penalty to the home side. It was clear judging from the number of consultations between Tim Oakes and the referee that there was a fair degree of confusion over his interpretation over the laws.
It seemed inevitable that all the pressure would eventually bear fruit and in the 5th minute it did. Birkenhead had been trying to batter their way over through the forwards but this time changed their attack. The ball went to the backs and a long well directed pass left the full back with a clear run in around the end of Stockport’s line. With the conversion 7-0.
If things went on like this we were on a hiding to nothing. Slowly things did change but the penalties continued and didn’t aid our cause. We just needed more ball in hand but it’s hard to justify running the ball from inside your own 22. In the 20th minute we got on a bit of a roll. A couple of penalties and Richard kicked us into good position in the corner. But after the line out that followed we conceded another penalty close the BP line. Talking of line outs, they were performing OK but the set scrums were better than average with front row doing well. At the other end of the squad Robbie Wellock was a busy man. He was caught on his own a couple times and on others he made important breaks back up field.
Then something happened which was very much against the odds. A Birkenhead Park player was sin binned before a Stockport player. Their No.10 got his temporary marching orders. The penalty for his offence was only about 4 metres short of the half way line but Hoppo had a go at the posts. His kick was just right of the posts but showed that Richard has a considerable range.
Unfortunately it wasn’t long before the refs yellow card caught up with us as well. John Wilson was on the end of it. It was a period of the game when we giving as good as we got. Rob Wellock made a clean break up the blind and when the ball came back to Matt Leyden his delicate chip towards the try line was just recovered by the BP wing who managed to escape after carrying the ball over his own line.
The half time whistle went with the score at 7-0 and the penalty count at 13-5.
The 2nd half started with us under the cosh again. Their was notable clearance from Matt Leyden but the home side pushed forward again and were awarded a further penalty, this time I kickable range with the return of the No. 10. 10-0. John Wilson had also returned to the game (Previous penalty…..!) but he was also in the wars with a bang to the head.
10 minutes in the 2nd period we did hit upon one thing that we could definitely do better than the opposition. Long forward drives. The forwards took the ball on 30 yards up it appeared to be pulled down the position was lost.
In the 20th minute we suffered a terminal blow to any chance of getting a result. Birkenhead had a huge slice of luck went the ball was judged to have gone backwards after in came out of hands when made a break close the line. The loose ball went to their grateful winger who was outside him and he scored under the posts. 17-0.
We have never previously been a team that takes defeat lying down and this would be no exception. It was the forwards who took the fight to the opposition again. Picking up and going the slowly edged towards the line. It was finally Tim Oakes who picked up and nipped over from close range. Richard Hopkinson added the 2 . 17-7.
The homeside took notice of the warning shot across their bows and up their game again. Another quick score was what was require but fight as we may we found it hard to find a good position to strike from. It was until the final 3 minutes of the game that Hoppo narrowed the deficit to 7 with another penalty. 17-10.
It was too little too late as time was called. 17-10 in points. 17-8 in penalties. It was hard pill to swallow but when I was sitting outside later I overheard a phone call from a home sider and I heard him describe us as ‘ordinary’. It was harsh but judged just on this performance perhaps fair. There will plenty of opportunities to show that we are a better side than we ever let Birkenhead Park see. The first chance comes this weekend with the visit of league pace setters Caldy.
Caldy 45 (Tries: Coast 2, Mercer, Holt, Dickinson, Young. Cons: Mason 6. Pen: Mason.).
Penrith 3 (Pen: Jansen.)
Comprehensive win for Caldy as they make it two in a row.
They took five minutes to take the lead with Simon Mason putting over a penalty goal, the first of his seven successful kicks at goal from seven attempts.
The first try came in the 12th minute when flanker David Mercer went over and Mason converted. Three tries in seven minutes settled the match as the home side raced into a 31-0 lead after 24 minutes with tries from centre Marcus Coast, prop Matt Holt and No 8 Sam Dickinson and Mason converted all three.
That though was the end of the first half scoring but four minutes into the second half and Coast completed a double. Jansen pulled three points back for Penrith but the home side got the final score when full back Chris Young touched down.
Chester 28 (Tries: Green, Lawton, Whitelock-Wainwright, Watson 2. Pen: Francis.).
New Brighton 13 (Tries: Tuipulotu 2. Pen: Dean.)
Chester picked up their first win of the season as New Brighton lost for the second time.
Simon Francis gave the home side the lead with a 10th minute penalty goal. The visitors were level when Stephen Dean replied three minutes later in what was the final score of the first half.
The second half was a different story as the home side ran in five tries including a brace in the third quarter from second row Scott Watson as the home side built up an 18-3 lead. They were always in control now as both sides scored a couple of tries in the final quarter including a double for New Brighton No 8 Kati Tuipulotu.
Huddersfield 13 (Tries: Pollock, Pratt. Pen: Johnson.).
Kendal 23 (Tries: L Ladell 2, J Ladell. Con: Tuhakaraina. Pens: Tuhakaraina 2.)
Kendal made it two out of two with this excellent away win over Huddersfield who were also opening day winners.
The visitors were first on the scoreboard when Patrick Tuhakaraina put over a 4th minute penalty goal but this was soon cancelled out by the home sides centre Chris Johnson.
On the half hour mark Kendal were back in front with Tuhakaraina kicking his second of the afternoon. Just before half time though Huddersfield took the lead with flanker Hamish Pratt getting the games opening try.
Two Luke Ladell tries turned the game in favour of Kendal as they opened up an 18-8 lead.
His brother John then got the third Kendal try and they were safe at 23-8. The home side did manage the final score of the match with a try from prop Neil Pollock late on. .
Hull 25 (Tries: David, McKenzie 2. Cons: Piercy 2. Pens: Martinson 2.).
Beverley 12 (Tries: Hope, Infield. Con: Hope.)
Hill recovered from last weeks home defeat at the hands of Huddersfield with this victory over Beverley.
Full back Guy Martinson put them ahead in the first minute with a penalty goal and added a second on 25 minutes to make it 6-0. Just after the half hour mark the visitors went in for the games opening try as scrum half Chris Infield touched down in the final score of the half.
14 minutes into the second half and replacement Leroy McKenzie went over for a home try and Alex Piercy converted to make it 13-5.
Three minutes later it was 18-5 with centre Maea David touching down.
They sealed the win on 78 minutes when McKenzie went over to complete a double and Piercy again converted. The visitors did manage a second try in added time when full back Guy Hope went in and slotted the conversion. |
