High score but sloppy defence by the Greens
ON SATURDAY, Ormskirk welcomed visitors Heaton Moor to an overcast Green Lane for the second fixture of the season following promotion to the ADM Premier Division.
Heaton Moor, an established Premier Division side, are so far having an uneasy start to the season while Ormskirk have so far lost one and won one of their opening fixtures.
The step up to a higher grade has already exacted a toll with a number of injuries to key personnel so it was with some confident trepidation that they welcomed the visitors.
The match didn’t begin well for the Greens, conceding a converted try in the opening minute following lacklustre defending and a brief but ferocious attacking onslaught by the visitors.
While Heaton Moor were clearly encouraged by the early score, the Greens too were kickstarted into life and following a period of dominance soon equalised as Joe Rivers crashed over for a well-taken try converted by Liam Thompson.
A further period of staunch defence and tackle-busting runs led to a ground-making passage of play along the Ormskirk flank. After the ball had passed between many pairs of hands, a sweet, short pass from Gaughan released Craig Ennis to outpace the stretched defence for a converted touchdown between the uprights.
Ormskirk were now on a roll and stretching the visitors along the flanks and through the middle, but losing the advantage of the gains through sloppy handling and instances of indiscipline leading to conceded free kicks and loss of ground.
The visitors too were showing indiscipline and the Greens were able to take advantage from converted penalties to further increase the lead as half time approached.
However, in the final minute of the half the referee finally lost patience with a series of home side offsides, which resulted in Jake
Hodgson leaving the pitch for a 10-minute sin bin break... an advantage on which Heaton Moor immediately capitalised by taking their second, but unconverted, try after they stretched the ragged home defence.
The early second half produced a dull period of attrition as defences cancelled out the efforts of both sides to gain meaningful headway towards opposing try lines.
The stalemate was eventually broken when Ormskirk produced a passage of open running play to carve an opening for Jake Pagan to leave a swathe of defenders clutching at air as he powered through the 20-metre zone to score between the posts, another successful conversion creating a bit of breathing space for Ormskirk.
Further passages of open running play were beginning to tire the visitors, with Jake Hodgson, Matty White and Jake Kinrade all taking well crafted tries either side of a Heaton Moor converted effort.
With the match effectively won by the Greens, the visitors produced a resolve to score one final try to gain a match bonus points for scoring four tries, their efforts being rewarded in the final play of the match as they barged over to conclude the scoring and bring the match to an end.
The final score of 44-27 to Ormskirk proved to be a result which was pleasing for the win, but a disappointment for the number of points conceded.
Next week they travel up to Trafford Metrovick for another challenging fixture.