Colts shake off effects of Lune defeat

HEATON MOOR SC...12 SOUTHPORT ................. 0

IN wet and windy conditions, Heaton Moor prepared for their Cup quarter final with a hard-fought victory over a tough Southport side.

The fact that they held a normally enterprising opponent scoreless was down to a solid defensive performance and superb game management on a day when the ball was about as manageable as a bar of soap.

But it’s another league victory, keeping a really consistent run together with last week’s narrow defeat at Vale of Lune the only blemish in 2019.

It was a very even battle from the first whistle but as both teams tried to open things up, handling became very much the issue and so they both struggled to put scores on the board.

Moor received an early blow when skipper Dec McGeehan received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, perhaps a little harsh but a challenge to be overcome. And did they meet it head on.

Terrific work by Shane Ennis and James Bellis and some lovely handling by Dom Rafferty and Joe Kilbride laid a platform and two minutes before their reverting to a full complement, the former played Charlie Pinhorn in for a brilliantly worked try.

That remained the only score of the half but didn’t do justice to the sterling effort by both sides in an absorbing contest.

The second half was just as tight as Southport reappeared with renewed vigour but the Colts were in no mood to succumb.

Each time Southport pressurised, Moor found the answers and kept them at bay.

Ten minutes in Moor got a penalty which Joe Kilbride wisely decided to kick but the elements forced his kick off the upright and Southport raised a counter attack.

The next ten minutes were a total Southport onslaught, as they tried and tried to break Moor down.

When it looked like they were gonna score, camped on the goal line, a massive team effort forced a huge turnover.

Asa Bottomley broke ranks, kicked forward. As the ball neared the Southport line, it looked like it was covered but the conditions again played the part as the full back fumbled.

As both Bottomley and Dylan Starkie both pounced, try was given by the referee to Starkie.

Joe Kilbride added the conversion and that was that.

A terrific sporting contest between two well matched sides, both missing some big players and it’s not unthinkable that their paths could meet again in the ensuing Lancashire Cup.

That’s where they head next as they travel to Old Aldwinians in the Cup quarter final next Sunday.

TRIES: Starkie, Pinhorn CONVERSIONS: Kilbride TEAM: Gondal (Arnold), McIlwraith, McGeehan, Berry, Ennis, Eaton (Ghariani), Ireland, Chappell-Danson, Rafferty, J Kilbride, Bottomley, Starkie, Pinhorn, Boothroyd