Seconds pegged back by ‘hoppers

A TRY in the last minute saw Preston Grasshoppers third team snatch a unlikely 26-26 draw against Littleborough second team.

The visitors took the early lead when the inside centre broke through the insider shoulder of the defender to run in for the first score.

Littleborough responded in kind with a well worked try from a scrum turnover. In the Hoppers 22, the ball was worked from the back of a scrum to Danny Lawlor who had the pace to run in a meat pie down the right wing.

Encased in a relentless and enthralling first half both teams swapped tries. First the away side grabbed the lead before the Boro grabbed the try of the day.

A well worked move again saw the backs play out wide, where Joel Rawlinson and Andrew Roberts interchanged passes to see the full back under the posts.

Wanting to grab his own piece of pie, Littleborough’s Konrad Hill saw a gap midway into the Hoppers half and took it with aplomb. Lawlor’s conversion gave them a 7 point lead.

Hoppers had some quality of their own and scored a third of the afternoon with another try from the outside centre. A missed conversion put them level at the break.

The second half while gripping was edgy and nervous as both teams were determined not to give the opponent any foothold.

Littleborough playing with the slope and sun in their favour, scored the opening try of the second half. Again good work by the forwards laid a platform for winger Andy Roberts to go in by the left corner.

And in what looked like for all the money in the world would make for a home side win, with a dominate scrum the catalyst.

With a minute left on the clock, a feigning Preston Grasshoppers player distracted the Boro defence and the visiting wing capitalised to run in under the posts to secure the most unlikely of draws.