Old Firm through in cup

WORTHINGTON MID DISTRICT CUP

down the touchline where he passed inside to second row David Richards who took the attack on and chipped over the last Porth defender and regathered the ball to take play into the visitors’ 22. Although tackled, the ball was quickly rucked and moved to outside half Declan Conway who sped through a gap in the Porth midfield to score under the posts. Holley converted to put Mount in front 7-3 after seven minutes.

Porth responded almost immediately and showed their capabilities in attack when a break by their wing was finished off with a try in the corner, well converted, to make it 10-7. The visitors were having the better of the territory and possession, and with Mount making too many handling errors, the Old Firm were forced to rely on scraps. An attack by the visitors was just stopped 5m out with a try-saving tackle, but Porth’s lead was increased further from the resulting 5m scrum when their No 8 forced his way over for a converted try to make it 17-7 after 26 minutes.

A midfield break by centre Alex Hughes was taken on by full back Holley to take play up to the Porth line where the visitors conceded a penalty which Holley kicked to make it 17-10. A chip over the Mount midfield near the Mount 22, which was taken by a Porth player, spelled danger for the Mount defence but an all-embracing tackle and quick support from the home forwards earned the Old Firm a penalty. With time almost up, Mount took play up to the Porth 22 where a scrum saw the visitors scrum half go blind and leave the Mount defence for dead, chipping over full back Holley and eventually getting the touchdown to take Porth into half time 22-10 up.

Mount started with more intent at the start of the second half, a scissors between outside half Conway and centre Hughes seeing Hughes take play into the Porth 22. A penalty to the Old Firm was kicked to the corner and further pressure eventually saw Hughes score Mount’s second try in the corner from a quick pen- alty take, full back Holley converting superbly from the touchline to make it 22-17 after 45 minutes. A strong run by No 8 Matthew Dixon took play into the Porth 22 as Mount upped the intensity. A lineout take by second row David Richards and a 20m text book driving maul by the Mount pack saw prop James Cowdry touch down midway out for his fifth try of the season, which Holley converted to put the Old Firm 24-22 up after 55 minutes.

With almost an hour played, a disagreement between two players turned into a melee involving both teams, with the result that two players were eventually sent off and Mount wing Sean Williams was forced to leave the field.

The Mount scrum had the Porth pack in all sorts of trouble at a number of scrums in the last quarter and a 40m penalty after 66 minutes by Holley rebounded off an upright.

Although there was no further scoring, the action was not quite over with two players being sent off.