Greens certain they with tough days that

PROMOTION to the ADM Premier Division this year has brought the added challenge of a fixture list against traditionally strong teams, such as Liverpool St Helens, Widnes, West Park and Saturday’s visitors Aldwinians.

The first game of the season brought reality concerning the standards required to survive at this higher level as Ormskirk went down 22-0 away to Didsbury.

Results since that opening game have shown Ormskirk to be up to the challenge as three successive wins against West Park 43-29 at home, Heaton Moor 44-27 at home and Trafford MV 13-31 away have put them up to third place in the division.

The visit of Aldwinians to Green Lane was another tough fixture which saw the away side open the game strongly through their big mobile pack.

They were also not afraid to use their back line, which not only put Ormskirk’s defensive quality to the test but denied them any ball of their own to set an offensive play in motion.

This strong opening began to catch Ormskirk offside at the breakdown and Aldwinians took one of these penalty opportunities to open the scoring 0-3 with an accurate kick at goal.

Ormskirk’s early play was hampered by the loss off two props and flyhalf through injury, but they began to find their feet and obtain good ball.

A lineout just outside the visitors’ 22 was cleanly won and moved through backs hands down the line.

Held up in midfield by strong tackling, pick up and drives moved the ball further down field before centre Jake Hodson broke the defensive line and popped the ball up in the tackle for Jake Pagan to score under the posts, Matty White added the conversion, 7-3.

Soon after the restart, the referee spotted an incident of foul play at the ruck and judged it serious to warrant a red card for the Aldwinians back rower. A bonus for Ormskirk but one that they could not take advantage of as Aldwinians set the pace in the game, continuing to drive forward and exploit gaps in the Ormskirk defence.

Awarded a penalty for offside, they kicked for the corner and a line out throw.

Cleanly won, the ball was driven forward through a number of phases resulting in a try in the right-hand