Moor youngsters fall short in final
FORGET the scoreline, it sounds like a trouncing but it doesn’t do justice in a game that was simply fantastic to watch.
A Lymm side, fully loaded with outstanding talent, ran out convincing winners in the end but for 55 minutes, they got a huge scare.
But ultimately there was no shock and Lymm left Green Lane as Halbro NW Colts Senior League champions.
Lymm got their first score on the board after four minutes, a penalty for a high tackle and five minutes later they extended the lead with a try. Moor were finding it difficult but the effort was there. And the reward came on fifteen minutes.
Lymm were probing just inside Moor’s 22, but the try machine Asa Bottomley brilliantly intercepted and run almost the full length of the pitch to score under the posts, with Nick Tenney adding the conversion. What a morale booster and it showed.
The self-belief that gave the home side was suddenly evident and they started harassing their much-heralded opponents. But in a four-minute spell around the half hour mark Lymm scored two quick tries, one of which they converted and suddenly, approaching the break, the visitors had opened up a commanding thirteen-point lead.
Again, Moor showed great resilience. Shane Ennis was having a colossal game at second row, with almost little regard for his own safety, hitting everything that moved.
Then, James Bellis picked up a ball from a rare loose Lymm pass and in an awesome counter attack through Joe Kilbride and Nick Tenney, Emilio Ramirez showed his searing pace and strength, touching down to cut the gap to eight points at half time.
The third quarter of the game was a stunning spectacle, both teams going toe to toe in a wonderful encounter. Ten minutes in, Man of the Match Shane Ennis scored a deserved try, now the gap was three points and Moor were in with a brilliant chance.
They were starting to get the better of exchanges. Lymm got an attacking scrum inside the Moor 22, not for the first time, an incredible forward effort from the underdogs won the scrum against the head but as they tried to work the ball out, Lymm overturned and ran in another try.
Within another two minutes, they struck again so suddenly Heaton Moor were staring down the barrel. To their immense credit, they battled on and another trademark Bottomley try gave them some hope but Lymm were not going to be denied. In the last twelve minutes they ran in three more tries as The Colts ran out of steam. So, there was to be no last hurrah for this side who have had a great run in the last four years, four final appearances and two Lancashire Cup wins. Huge thanks to Chris Barrett, James Brennan, Nigel Glanfield and Paul Bailey for their guidance and coaching and its now the end of a brilliant era for this group as the majority now look towards senior careers.