Lymm 32 Preston Grasshoppers 39

SURRENDERING a commanding lead to table-topping Preston Grasshoppers leaves Lymm's promotional play-off hopes resting on not losing again.

Two league points were reward for the efforts against the North Premier Division leaders but Lymm led 29-12 at the interval and went on to lose after falling behind the last 10 minutes.

With rivals Hull and Harrogate both winning Lymm remain in fourth place, four points behind next opponents Harrogate.

"Mathematically we could still finish second and have a promotional play-off opportunity to level four, National Two North," said coach Adam Fletcher.

"Our next match is away to Harrogate on Saturday, April 7. We then have three home games to finish the season. We must win them all.”

Lymm looked to exploit the speed and athleticism of their young, homegrown side but it was Preston's huge pack which won the day.

In the space of 10 first-half minutes Lymm went from 5-0 behind to 22-5 in front courtesy of tries from Joe Denman, Ali Sutherland and debutant winger Luke Richards, with Scott Redfearn converting twice and adding a penalty goal.

Although Preston responded with a try Redfearn touched down from a charge down to leave Lymm in charge at the break.

The second half was a complete contrast and it took a last-ditch penalty from Redfearn to ensure the additional bonus point for his side.

With Cormac Nolan not available, Joe Denman moved to full-back with Richards, yet another product of the Lymm Colts Academy, starting on the wing.

Lymm also gave a first-team debut to centre Grant Sneddon.

The initial exchanges saw Preston look the more dangerous, and it wasn't long until they opened the scoring.

The try was a well worked set piece, after a penalty on halfway allowed them to kick for a lineout five metres from Lymm's line.

From the lineout the big number eight, Lamprey, drove past a hapless Lymm defence. The conversion fell short.

The home side responded brightly, with Redfern and Joe Watson combining to take the ball deep into Preston territory.

A knock on when the ball went wide scuppered the attack but the home fans were buoyed by the quality of Lymm's attack.

A Redfern penalty in front of the posts, on the back of a patient attack, put Lymm on the score board.

Lymm were soon back in Preston's half courtesy of an excellent clearance from Redfern.

The ensuing attack again showed promise but once more ended with a knock on.

A subsequent attempt ended very similarly, and then Preston joined in the "one that got away" club (a forward pass ending one effort, crossing ending another).

The fully committed and cohesive defence that has characterised Lymm's season was keeping the visitors at bay, and Lymm were also winning a surprising number of turnovers at the ruck.

There then followed an eye brow raising 10 minutes.

First Andy Davies and Denman tidied up a loose ball in their own 22. Preston failed to effectively manage the kick, and Lymm pounced, with the ball eventually kicked through for Denman to collect and finish what he had started, with a try between the posts. Redfern converted to take Lymm 10-5 ahead.

From the restart Lymm again made progress into Preston's half.

Davies, who was now imposing his control on the game, put Denman through the defensive line with a deft no-look pass.

Denman moved the ball to centre James Kimber and his well timed long pass was collected by Ali Sutherland on the wing.

The Preston winger couldn't stop Sutherland from scoring Lymm's second try in about as many minutes.

Back-to-back tries was an impressive feat, but Lymm managed to go one better and score another almost immediately.

This time Higginson was tackled in the air from the restart kick.

Joe Watson, more usually feted for his defensive work, was again involved in the attack, breaking through the visitors' defence before feeding the debutant winger Richards.

Richards had a bit still to do to score, which he did with skill and confidence. Redfern scored a difficult conversion, 22-5.

Preston scored a try of their own almost immediately, when former Newcastle Falcons centre James Fitzpatrick charged down a Lymm clearance 10 metres from their own line and collected the ball to give the Hoppers an important score as half-time approached.

Redfern got a charge down of his own, following some sustained Lymm pressure on the Preston line.

Again Redfern converted, and Lymm had a spectacular if unlikely 29-12 lead at the interval and a try bonus point.

The second half could not have been more different to the first.

Lymm's offence stuttered and too often resulted in loss of possession in their own half.

This allowed Preston to play to their strengths.

Lymm's lineout was not as effective as it had been previously, while Preston's pack became increasingly dominant.

A Preston yellow card for an off-the-ball incident failed to have any impact on the game, and indeed it was the visitors who scored.

After a Hoppers scrum for a not straight Lymm lineout, Lamprey again made yards from number eight.

A couple more phases put Preston in a dangerous position which Fitzpatrick again took full advantage of. He overpowered the Lymm line to score a converted try.

Preston were looking more assured and Lymm's defensive line seemed to slow slightly.

Certainly Lymm were conceding penalties at a rate that was sure to impact the score eventually.

That moment came when an under pressure Lymm were penalised for a scrum violation.

From the ensuing lineout Preston again overpowered Lymm to score and cut the lead to three points.

Lymm responded with a return to their aggressive defence, but lineouts and scrums continued to go Preston's way.

A Hoppers penalty 40 metres out but in front of the posts allowed Alex Ward to tie the scoring.

The Lancashire side eventually took the lead with 10 minutes to go.

Veteran player coach Paul Arnold collected the ball on halfway and highlighted a gap in the Lymm defence to charge 40 metres before feeding his support player. The try was converted.

Lymm were not beaten yet and continued to try and find their attacking potency.

However two good periods of possession led to nothing.

Preston, however, were awarded another long range penalty.

Again the kick was good and with time running out, Lymm seemed to have lost the additional bonus point that would have been some compensation.

But their stubbornness paid off and a last-second penalty was the reward in a seven-point loss.

Lymm: Gav Woods, Dan Horton, Jordan Widdrington, Aaron Rasheed, Sam Mullarkey, Joe Watson, Adam Bray, Oli Higginson, Andy Davies, Scott Redfern, Luke Richards, James Kimber, Tom Bray, Ali Sutherland, Joe Denham, Matty Connolly, Matty Hand, Grant Sneddon.