Packing a punch at Pownall Park
●● Phil Mills scored a first-half hat-trick as Rossendale notched up their first away win of the season at Wilmslow on Saturday NORTH PREMIER WILMSLOW .................... 26 ROSSENDALE................. 55 GEOFF LIGHTFOOT
ANINE-TRY extravaganza brought Rossendale maximum points after beating Wilmslow 26-55 at Pownall Park.
The visitors went into the clash having failed to win away from their Marl Pits home since the campaign kicked off in September.
But there was no sign of a lack of confidence among Mark Nelson’s men as they sped out of the traps and never looked in danger of letting the points slip away.
The Rossendale coach was disappointed with a loss of focus towards the end of the games, though by then it was over as a contest.
Playing some of their best rugby so far this season, the East Lancashire side had the game wrapped up and the bonus point safely tucked away by half time.
A pick up of a loose ball brought the opening try for Phil Mills with a pick up by Lewis Allen on half way sending Jordan Lord through on the break and with Jack Ward up in support the centre went in for the second.
The third again fell to Mills, latching on to a pin point cross kick from Allen.
And it was Mills who brought up the bonus point and his hat-trick after Nick Flynn and Harry Moulding had created the opportunity, all four converted by Allen.
In the latter stages of the half as Rossendale began to ease up, Wilmslow went over for two tries, the conversion of the second affording the visitors a 12-28 lead at the interval.
In the second period solid forward play from half way and following a kick to the corner by Allen, Curtis Strong added the fifth.
Slick handling between Moulding, Flynn and Mills got George Peel over with Allen racking up the seventh, capitalising on swift hands on the back of a scrum penalty, the outside half also tagging on the conversion.
Wilmslow, who refused to give up, went over for a converted try before a missed pass from James Bramhall put Strong in for his second.
Don Nonanye took the ball straight from the restart and, with Allen providing the link, Jake Foster made it nine.
With time running out Wilmslow managed a fourth try and a deserved bonus point.