Alnwick 24 Lymm 3

HAVING arrived in Northumberland already without several key players, Lymm were plunged even further into an injury crisis on Saturday.

Captain Adam Bray was one of three players to succumb to head injuries at Alnwick, with Ali Sutherland and Matty Connelly also suffering suspected concussions.

As if to sum up the luck Adam Fletcher’s side are having with injuries at the moment, Connelly was forced off just one minute after replacing Joe Watson, who left the action with what turned out to be a dislocated shoulder.

All of this meant Lymm played the majority of the second half with 14 men and despite battling courageously, they were undone by their hosts.

With their next game not until November 17 when league leaders Hull visit Crouchley Lane, Fletcher may feel Lymm’s weekend off could not be better timed.

Seventeen-year-old Joe Senior started on the wing for the visitors, with James Pitcher, 20, starting at hooker after some impressive displays for the second team.

They started well, but Bray’s injury stunted their momentum and Alnwick took full advantage with two tries in quick succession.

In first-half injury time, Lymm were awarded a penalty just inside their own half.

With the wind behind him, Cormac Nolan went for goal and struck the kick beautifully to get Lymm on the board.

However, the loss of Watson and Connelly within a minute of each other meant the visitors were forced to limp through the remainder of the game a man light.

To their eternal credit, they repelled wave after wave of Alnwick pressure until they finally broke through in the 57th minute.

However, the hosts did not score again until two minutes from time as they secured a bonus-point win.

Lymm are now winless in their past three games and sit 11th in the Northern Premier table.

Lymm: Gav Woods, James Pitcher, Matty Hand, Matty Connelly, Will Baldwin, Joe Watson, Adam Bray, Ali Sutherland; Tom Shard, Scott Redfern; Luke Richards, Ben Stansfield, James Kimber, Joe Senior, Cormac Nolan. Subs: Jordan Widdrington, Rob Makin, Aaron Rashid.

Lymm 2nd 14 Caldy 2nd 69

THE first team’s crippling injury list meant it was a depleted second team that took the field at Crouchley Lane.

Four 17-year-olds featured in the hosts’ team, but they competed well in the first half despite trailing by 10 points at half time.

Josh Hadland and Jake Ashall scored tries for Lymm, with Alfie Simpson converting both efforts.

Lymm’s rearguard action continued after the break, but the size, pace and class of Caldy told as they ran in 45 unanswered points.

Lymm squad: J Porteus, O Brown, J Sherlock, B Rees, H Baldwin, J Ashall, X Dickenson, H Simpson J Hadland, A Simpson, J Dobbs, T Baker, J Davies, J Harmer, H Ratcliffe, R Lilley, D Coon