Moore RUFC 23

Newton 16

NEWTON overcame early setbacks to push Moore to the wire in Saturday's Rugby Football Union South Lancashire/Cheshire Three clash.

At 16-16, both teams had the scent of victory.

In the dying minutes, the amount of changes Newton had to make due to injuries took its toll.

The Moore stand off took the ball from the back of a scrum and dummied his way over to score the decisive converted try.

Newton went into the game with half a dozen players either missing or strapped up so as not to let their side down.

Then the pre-match preparation did not go to plan with the discovery that half of the shirts were missing, meaning they had to borrow a kit from the opposition and the kit would have better fit a school side.

Moore started the game brightest and by running the ball wide at Newton's injury hit wings and were unlucky not to have scored a try early on.

They did kick a penalty to take a 3-0 lead. The penalty was swiftly followed by a try to make it 8-0.

Newton sprung into action in the second half by running the ball through the middle of the Moore defensive line. Good recycling work from the forwards gave J Grainger the chance to crash over in the corner.

More Newton pressure led to stand off M Boland weaving his way over in the opposite corner to make the score 8-10.

Moore replied with a penalty to re-take the lead 11-10.

In order to regain the lead Newton drove up the park until they were in a position to take on a penalty kick that A McKenna dispatched and he soon added another.

Moore managed to pick their way through the Newton line to score and make it 16-16 and set up the dramatic finish.