Lancashire trip ends in defeat
LITTLEBOROUGH RUFC were unable to maintain their winning momentum after they suffered a defeat at Tyldesley.
Once again it was a game of two halves, but this time it turned out to be Boro that came unstuck.
On a day of very mixed weather and playing in Lancashire for the first time this season, Littleborough immediately went on the attack and took the game into their opponents’ five metres area.
Having already been played back into their own half, Boro then sent a kick deep into their opponents’ half and collected a successful penalty by Adam West in less than five minutes.
Then their opponents hit back and took play into Boro’s 10 metres area, but Chris Park made a great break down field when he suddenly took off at the sound of the referee’s whistle for a penalty to Littleborough, who again put pressure on the hosts.
Tyldesley came back and towards the end of the first quarter the hosts achieved a push over try, but there was no conversion added on this occasion.
Then immediately afterwards, Park again put forward a well executed delicate kick which was collected by Boro and passed on to Nathan Coop for him to cross the line for his team’s first try, this time converted by West to put Boro ahead by five points.
Soon afterwards the home team converted a penalty, which was followed with Boro’s Murphy Holt taking a good ball in a lineout and making a great penetrating run.
He couldn’t add any points before the end of the first half though, meaning it was 10-8 to Littleborough at the break.
Slight player changes by Boro in the second half saw long-serving Chris Kolbuck come back on the field at scrum half after a long layoff due to injury, with Chris Park reverting back to fullback.
Soon the host team kicked deep into Littleborough’s half and followed with yet another push over try and this was to be the scene for most of the second half to follow.
Boro were standing up well under pressure by their own posts, then a bad pass among their backs gave the opposition the ball and they ran forward to collect yet another converted try.
This brought on another player change for Boro as Chris Roberts took his place in the forwards having been out of the team for some time due to injury.
Unfortunately, Tyldesley now looked in command and they crossed the try line again for their fourth try. Not long after, further pressure from them brought them a converted penalty.
Now Sam Dickinson and Paul Fino came on for Boro for the last quarter of the match and following further pressure by the home side, Littleborough’s Jack Whittles still showed his side were keen to score as he made another great dummy pass and ran forward.
Finally Boro did create enough momentum to hit back with their second try of the afternoon by Holt just before the referee blew for full time.
It was a disappointment for the large supporting crowd from Littleborough that had travelled but you can’t win games without the ball.
For his constant good work in the forwards, particularly at lineouts, Boro’s man of the match award went to Ted Chadwick.