Late winner give Boro 3s division title

LITTLEBOROUGH 3s snatched a dramatic last minute winner against rivals Glossop 3s to seal the Division 4 East title.

Coming into the match, a win at Glossop and a loss for Wilmslow 3’s effectively would give Littleborough a more than deserved crown.

While Littleborough prised a magnificent late victory at Hargate Hill Lane, under the difficulty of missing half of the starting 15 through tour and other commitments as well as being reduced to a thin bare 15 midway in the first half after serious injuries to Kieron Bonnie and Bob Colenutt.

Wilmslow had there title hopes diminish as they sank to a shock 49-17 loss at home to ever improving Hope Valley.

With so much riding on the game the first half was a very attrictional affair as both tried to find a way through each other’s rear guard.

As soon as the door was slightly opened and a chance presented itself, the door would be immediately shut.

Visitors Littleborough, however, took the initiative early and lead with a penalty by Tom Travis.

Glossop with a large contingent of 20+ in their ranks also had their fly half to thank as he drew the scores with a long range penalty.

The game then burst into life with the first try that would deliver a damaging blow to the home side.

A Boro driving maul made an incredible 20+ yards, before a clever dart from scrum half Gareth Hutchins down the blind side allowed Brook Reader time and space to sprint in for his first of the year.

Travis couldn’t quite add the all important extras with a difficult kick in the conditions.

Come the end of a tense first half, Littleborough would regret not taking those two points as Glossop piled on the pressure causing Boro to concede penalties. And as Peter Fletcher walked off for 10 mins in the bin, Glossop took full advantage with a quick tap try down in the right corner.

At the break the score stood at 10-8 to the chasing Glossop.

With conditions worsening and nerves creeping in as the stakes increased with every successful penalty from both Travis and now his fly half arch nemesis.

Glossop who were now using their fresh legs to good effect started to gain advantage and took the precious lead 12 minutes from a well taken try from the number 8. A shining light for Glossop, he bumped off four tacklers to blast his way around the defence.

Another successful conversion put them six points clear at 20-14.

So here it was, the game and the title would come down to the last few minutes and who could hold their nerve.

Visitors Littleborough pushed desperately for the winning try and went agonisingly close through James Muir, Aaron Jones and Tom Carter, the latter of whom had a particularly impressive game.

Whichever way they tried they could not get through.

So it was only fitting that in the last play of the game Littleborough’s mighty scrum which had been a constant force, turned over the ball and put the home side again under huge pressure.

And as Glossop scrambled to keep Boro at Bay, captain Jonathan Land would be the man of the hour as he shrug off the desperate challenges of three men on the line to dot down left of the posts. In the most dramatic of endings to the most tense of games, Thomas Travis calmly knocked over the conversion to send Boro players into delirium.