Lymm 25 Birkenhead Park 19

LYMM crafted a much-needed win against old rivals Birkenhead Park at Beechwood.

Park, newly-promoted back to National League Three, brought a very tightly-controlled game that made them a challenge for Lymm.

Right from the kick off it was clear this would be a contest of very different styles.

Lymm sought to throw the ball around at every opportunity, whether on their own five-metre line or deep in the opposition half.

Park looked for territory first and then engaged their heavyweight pack to set up a very effective rolling maul.

The visitors from Merseyside opened the scoring early on.

Lymm had turned possession over to Park through a loose kick which trapped them in their own 22.

Park’s very direct forward game set up a penalty in front of the posts to make it 0-3.

From the restart Lymm continued to struggle to advance beyond the halfway line, despite showing flashes of real flair.

Too often though these breaks were scuppered by poor handling.

Newcomer Chris Owens was building a nice understanding with his half back partner Olly Lancaster, and Giles Dugdale was making himself a threat in the centres, but at times it felt as if the rugby on show would be better if played 20 metres from the visitors’ post than their own.

Winger Richard McEvoy would be the first to get Lymm across half way with a booming 50-metre clearance that saw Lymm deep in Park territory for the first time.

Lymm stole the Birkenhead lineout, and despite being turned over were able to regain possession and make their expansive rugby pay.

Moving the ball first to the right wing and then to the left, with real pace and good angles of running they found Mark Wells, who finished well in the corner. Richard McEvoy converted from a difficult angle to put Lymm 7-3 ahead.

The breakdown was to be a bit of a thorn in Lymm’s side all day, with a number of penalties conceded at key moments.

The next score was from one of these moments.

Another attempt to run the ball from deep resulted in Lymm isolating themselves and being penalised for holding on in the ruck.

Park used the opportunity to set up a lineout maul and put Lymm under real pressure on their own line.

The home side defended resolutely (with Dugdale in particular making crucial hits) but Park were awarded another penalty, which they chose to kick.

Lymm had a penalty of their own to reward some fine pressure defence, but McEvoy was unable to add the three points to his tally.

Three successive attacks were undone by Lymm handling errors and Park were starting to assert themselves more effectively in the middle of the pitch.

However Lymm replied with a penalty by McEvoy to make it 10-6.

The number of penalties in this game reflects not on the referee (whose lack of fuss was a definite boost to the match) but on the exuberance of both teams.

And it would be a penalty direct from the restart that saw Park take the lead at the end of the first half.

A breakdown infringement by Lymm allowed Birkenhead to set up another line out maul. This time the patience and control of their pack would prove too much for Lymm and they scored a well-deserved try to go ahead 10-11 at half time.

Lock forward Zak Lythgoe was behind much of the good play with which Lymm opened the second half.

A number of offloads in a sustained Lymm attack kept the threat alive and with Adam Bray making good yards an overlap was created on Park’s left wing. McEvoy was able to score a try to reward Lymm’s patience.

The conversion was missed, 15-11.

The introduction of prop Mike Auden saw Lymm more effective at the ruck, and Auden made a couple of important turnovers to keep Park at bay as they repeatedly set up attacks in Lymm’s half.

Inevitably Lymm gave away a penalty, which Park chose to kick to the corner rather than for goal.

With the strength of their rolling maul this was probably wise but Lymm stole the line out on their own five-metre line, and Tom Bray showed that Lymm can play conservatively when needed and made a fine kick to touch in the opposition half.

A scrappy period of play just inside Lymm territory followed with both teams beset by knock-ons and penalties.

One of the latter allowed McEvoy to kick yet another penalty goal and Lymm edged to an 18-11 lead.

Returning to their earlier fluidity Lymm were to score another exciting try when Joe Knowles took full advantage of yet another well-worked overlap to score under the posts. McEvoy converted.

At this point Lymm should have been able to relax but that is not the Lymm way.

Park began to slowly but effectively make ground in Lymm’s half, each phase taking them closer to a score.

Burgess’ absence from the game was to blame for much, but Lymm could do little to prevent the well-worked maul that Park created and another deserved try brought the visitors to within nine points.

With Jake Ashall receiving a yellow card for a high tackle with six minutes left, Park went in search of a losing bonus point, if not more.

Lymm’s insistence on running from deep rather then just playing in Park’s half the closing stages of the match would be interesting.

It would be Lymm’s determination in defence that would prove decisive in the end.

With Auden again working well at the breakdown, and Kaihau marshalling the pack, Park had to make do with a penalty at the very end of the match for another yellow-carded high tackle by Adam Bray.

But the hosts held out and the win saw Lymm leapfrog Birkenhead to go seventh in the table. They visit Rossendale on Saturday.

Lymm: Jordan Widdrington, Dan Horton, Nick Ashton, Alex Kaihau, Zak Lythgoe, Ross White, Jake Ashall, Adam Bray, Chris Owens, Ollie Lancaster, Mark Wells, Tom Bray, Giles Dugdale, Richard McEvoy, Joe Knowles,Sam Burgess, Mike Auden, Rick Halford, Aaron Rashed.