Lymm 9 Waterloo 6

LYMM earned a valuable four points against high-flying Waterloo on Saturday.

The visitors travelled to Beechwood on the back of a great win against Sheffield Tigers, whilst Lymm were trying to forget the previous week’s heavy defeat by Rossendale.

Lymm made a number of changes; Rick Halford coming in for the suspended Joe Knowles at full-back, Chris Jones returning a scrum-half and most notably Jake Eccleston making his first start in the centre following his season in rugby league.

Whilst there had been a deluge in the morning the pitch was in fine condition. Waterloo kicked-off with the slight breeze in their favour.

The game started and the script looked to be playing out, with Waterloo camped in the Lymm 22 for the first 10 minutes, Lymm conceding penalties and unable to escape.

Warrington Guardian:

Waterloo had several drives at the line but Lymm defended well, not always legally according to the referee and Zak Lythgoe received the first yellow card of the day.

Lymm weathered the storm through a combination of good defence and Waterloo errors and began to grow into the game.

Lymm confidence grew and they started to gain territory and eventually a penalty, which Richard McEvoy comfortably slotted.

Lymm continued to ask questions of Waterloo and another penalty followed.

Waterloo came back at Lymm and won a penalty of their own to take it to 6-3.

The remainder of the half saw Waterloo on the attack and the penalty count against Lymm rising.

On the stroke of half time the referee had seen enough, Tom Bray received the second yellow of the half and Waterloo kicked the ensuing penalty to make the half-time score 6-6.

The second half started and Lymm immediately received a penalty of their own, Richard McEvoy slotting over from long-range to take Lymm back into the lead at 9-6.

Warrington Guardian:

Waterloo started to use the extra man and ask questions of the Lymm defence. The Lymm defence stood firm and the next 30 minutes saw neither side unable to break the deadlock as both defences dominated.

Whilst the game was competitive it certainly wasn’t a spectacle as attacks from both teams petered out in the middle of the field, with either a dropped ball or the sound of the referee’s whistle.

With 10 minutes to go, the players sprang into a bit of life.

First it was Lymm’s turn to put pressure on the Waterloo line with Lythgoe going through his repertoire of off-loads.

Only strange decision making, spinning it out of a dominant scrum, stopped Lymm going over.

The next few minutes saw Waterloo searching for victory through the backs. The last play saw the Waterloo winger scenting victory, head down sprinting for the corner only to be superbly bundled into touch by Rick Halford.

Lymm: 1) Dan Horton, 2) Ross White, 3) Nick Ashton, 4) Zak Lythgoe, 5) Alex Kaihau, 6) Aaron Rasheed, 7) Jake Ashall, 8) Adam Bray ©, 9) Chris Owen, 10) Ollie Lancaster, 11) Mark Wells, 12) Tom Bray, 13) Jake Eccleston, 14) Richard McEvoy, 15) Richard Halford, 16) Mike Auden, 17) Jack Harper, 18) Cormac Nolan.

Waterloo 2nd 24 Lymm 2nd 26

WITH a significantly changed team, mainly through unavailability, no replacements, the recall of 49-year old prop Keith Broadbent, and playing three recognised scrum-halves in the 15 man squad, the signs looked ominous against a Waterloo side who like Lymm are aiming to qualify for Conference A when the league splits at Christmas.

As is usual, Lymm faced a physically larger pack and also a side that looked fit and able to sustain the pace for the full 80 minutes.

After only five minutes a neat move across the pitch ended with Waterloo crossing the line near to the corner for their first try, ably converted to make it 7-0.

Waterloo were in charge of the game, though Lymm’s pack still managed to put together some effective rolling mauls against their heavier opposition.

On 20 minutes a break deep inside their own half led to the Waterloo winger running half the length of the pitch, slipping the ball inside to a supporting player to score between the posts for an easy conversion.

Ten minutes later after Lymm had enjoyed a period of pressure within the opposition's 22 a wayward pass across Lymm’s attacking line was intercepted by Waterloo’s winger who ran the full length of the pitch to score a third converted try.

The signs now looked distinctly ominous. However with five minutes of the first half left, fly-half Rhys Jones broke through the gain-line and kicked through for supporting full-back Tom Shard to score in the corner.

At half time the combination of coach Malcolm Pritchard’s switch of the experienced Tom Shard from full-back to his recognised position of scrum-half, combined with captain Adam Halford’s team talk bore fruit in the second-half.

Within 10 minutes, continued pressure by the Lymm forwards resulted in fly-half Jones diving over the line for Shard to convert.

Waterloo replied on 60 minutes with a penalty under the posts following an offside decision.

Continuous cajoling and encouragement from captain Halford helped raise the intensity of the team and on 70 minutes a long pass from Jones, missing out two players, was taken by winger Rory Ridley-Thomas to score close to the corner.

The excellent conversion from the trusty boot of Shard made it 24-19 and amazingly Lymm were back in the hunt for a victory.

The last 10 minutes, plus gratefully received five minutes added-time, was all Lymm.

Twice, forward-led rolling mauls resulted in the ball ending over the try-line amidst a mass of bodies. 

Lymm’s try appeals were understandably dismissed by the referee, as there was no chance to determine if the ball had been legally grounded.

With seconds left, a final drive by the forwards resulted in fly-half Jones, yet again, diving over the line midway between posts and touchline to make it 24 v 24. All it needed now was Shard’s trusty boot – it did not fail.

Team – 1. Keith Broadbent, 2. Owen McCormack, 3. Jordan Widdrington, 4. Adam Halford (Capt), 5. James Yates, 6. Matt Hill, 7. Joe Long, 8. Ollie Thornton, 9. Henry Simpson, 10. Rhys Jones, 11. Rory Ridley-Thomas, 12. Tom Baker, 13. Jack Warton, 14. Reece Forrest, 15. Tom Shard

EAGLE 2nd 5 LYMM 4th 24

GLOSSOP U18s Colts 8 Lymm U18s Colts 5