Boro return ends with Cup defeat
LITTLEBOROUGH returned to action after a couple of blank weekends when they took on Aldwinians in the League Cup.
There were positives in the performance for Boro but unfortunately for the visitors, the Tamesiders progressed to the next round of the competition.
The game started well for Boro with good play by Henry Ashworth and Mark Murgatroyd and after only five minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty. Unfortunately the attempt to convert was missed. The following kick off by Aldwinians put them on the attack into Boro’s 10 metres area, but good defense by Boro kept them at bay.
But further pressure from the host team led to the first score of the day, Aldwinians gaining a push over try plus conversion to take the lead.
At the restart there was pressure again by the home team, but a counter attack from Boro’s fullback Nathan Coop alleviated the situation and that was followed again by a good break from Murgatroyd.
Aldwinians came again, and it took an excellent run up the wing from Liam Lloyd to relieve the pressure on Boro. There followed a period with plenty of defensive kicking to touch by both teams and the next score came five minutes before the interval, again going the way of the home side. They were on attack courtesy of their forwards, culminating in a further converted try.
It looked like Aldwinians would be taking a 14-0 lead into the break, but Boro deservedly pulled points back before the half time whistle sounded.
A fine attack down the wing by Liam Lloyd gave Boro a try that was converted by Coop and this was followed quickly after with a good take of the ball and run by Henry Ashworth, who was enjoying a quality game, meaning the teams left the field at the break with Aldwinians 14-7 to the good and all to play for in the second half.
Early in the second half, that man Ashworth again made a brilliant speed take and run with the ball, followed by a good kick to touch by Boro captain Chris Park. Those encouraging moves saw Boro raise their game with a good lineout take of the ball by Ted Chadwick, followed later with good tackling from Lloyd and Murgatroyd.
The bright start to the half was rewarded when, 10 minutes in, they were awarded a further penalty, Coop converting to narrow the gap at 14-10.
Boro may have felt momentum was with them, but the positivity was quelled somewhat minutes later when the Aldwinians forwards again asserted control and shipped the ball out to their winger for a converted try which took the score to now 21-10.
Boro came back on the attack with a good run from Mathew Goldthorpe, followed not long after with two great tackles by Nathan Ripley and strong defence by Stuart Bairstow.
There was brief hope for Boro when Aldwinians missed the chance to stretch their lead via a penalty kick - but those hopes were all but dashed when the home side made up for it with a well taken fourth try.
Boro finished the game strongly but had left themselves with a lot to do. After a period of strong pressure in the Aldwinians’ 25 metres area Boro were eventually rewarded with the try of the match, a magnificent pressure forward burst with ball in hand by man of the match Ashworth. Coop converted, but the score was followed by the referee’s whistle to end the contest. Once again Boro had put together some quality rugby, both in attack and defence, but unfortunately it was not sufficient to give them the match win.