Perfect way for Thirds to make history

LITTLEBOROUGH 3rd team wrote their name in the history books by taking the Division 4 East title in emphatic fashion.

Putting out a consistent and talented side saw the third team conquer all put out in front of them, with only three teams managing to survive the double defeat all season in Ashton On Mersey, Heaton Moor 3s and relegated Manchester 3s in controversial circumstances.

What was as impressive was the perfect home record, where at Rakewood they won all 11 games.

Any team that has such an stellar record at home is always going to do well but the manner and quality they did it with was superb.

In a topsy turvy division featuring some well established clubs’, victories on the road against the title rivals would also too go a long way to securing a seat at the division 3 table next season.

And in just the second game, Boro were faced with a big match up with Stockport 3s.

Playing with a scratched side missing some big names, Littleborough put in a huge defensive display and a clinical attack effort to snatch victory by 21-18.

You knew that this year would be different to those gone before and the belief grew as the team made light work out of Altrincham Kersal (21-34), Manchester 3’s (58-0), Trafford MV (19-48) and Glossop (30-5) to engineer a six-match winning run and take their rightful seat at the top of the table come Christmas.

This is a position that they never surrendered despite heavy pressure from Wilmslow 3s, Glossop 3s and Stockport 3s.

Pre season recruitment of James Muir, Tom Carter, Tony Burrill, Hat Steve and James Staniland, along with the return of Simon Wystanowha, Gareth Hutchins, Peter Fletcher and Jack Lord from retirement and prolonged absence from the sport helped pushed the established side to new levels and meant that consistency in personnel matched consistency in high quality performance week after week.

Victories over Ashton on Mersey (62-0), Burnage (10-33) and Hope Valley in the first couple of months of 2018 saw the third team further cement their position.

Twelve tries, including those from the two Anthonys, Stephenson and Bamford, Bob Colenutt, Mat Wild, Paul Deacon; as well as braces for Thomas Travis and James Staniland gave Littleborough an emphatic 69-5 scoreline. There was even time for a hat-trick from top try scorer James Muir in his first full season of union.

With three weeks of the season left to go Littleborough had the chance to effectively take the Division 4 East crown with victory over title rivals Glossop 3s at Hargate Hill Lane.

Losing Bob Colenutt and Kieron Bonnie to injury early on made life a lot more difficult.

However in the most dramatic of finales Littleborough snatched victory and the title as Jonathan Land burst through three defenders to dive down next to the left hand post. Thomas Travis kicked the simple conversion to send Boro into delirium.

Littleborough finally got their hands on the silverware at a bright Bowden Rugby club last Friday, and become the first 3rd team to win the Division 4 East title in 10 years and only the third in the league’s history.