Westoe 17 - Altrincham Kersal 5
Mar
AFTER the hiccups came the heroism.
Westoe will not look back on most of this North One clash with much satisfaction. But they walked from the field with heads held high, and had every right to do so.
Referee Rowan Williams’ yellow card dispatched three Shieldsmen to the sin bin in the last quarter, making it a rather bizarre game of revolving doors rugby.
Kerry Wood was given his marching orders on the hour and, just as he returned, fellow flanker James Fitzpatrick was side-lined. When hooker Nigel Douglas followed him four minutes later it meant that for six minutes the already depleted home side were down to 13 men.
And it brought out the very best in them.
Fired up by what they thought had been, in a couple of cases, borderline misdemeanors at best, they put a scrappy, error-strewn display behind them, gritted their teeth and fought like dervishes to defend a 10-5 lead against opponents who themselves were straining every sinew for a result that would ease their relegation worries.
Quite superbly, Gareth Nesbit’s Beacon Electrical (NE) Ltd-sponsored side did just that.
Altrincham Kersal were confined almost entirely to their own half during this fraught, final period as all attempts to break free and take advantage of their superior numbers were thwarted by a fierce-tackling blockade.
Then to cap it all, a strong drive in the last couple of minutes of injury time ended with replacement prop James Cookson bursting over beside the right corner flag, fly half Sam Rasch negotiating a brisk face-on breeze to convert skillfully and settle matters.
It was third top Westoe’s seventh successive victory, yet, sadly, their hopes of promotion into National Three (North) are now more remote than ever.
Leaders Kendal preserved their 100 per cent record by beating visitors Penrith 12-7 and Huddersfield virtually guaranteed themselves the runners-up spot with a 16-7 home win against Birkenhead Park.
In cold statistical terms, it means that even if Westoe win the three last remaining games, the Tykes must lose all of theirs to surrender the play-off chance of going up. And that is hardly likely to happen.
Westoe began in assertive fashion, forcing the visitors back onto their own line, but were frustrated by largely unforced errors. A Wood touch down was disallowed because of a knock on and centre Johan Saaiman burst clear only for the whistle to blast for a forward pass.
Then, suddenly, the tables turned when Kersal broke from the shackles and centre Tony O’Connor followed a kick into the right corner to score. This galvanized his side who now took command and though they got the ball over again just before half time they were unable to ground it.
Soon after the interval, a fine Rasch kick found touch inside the 22, lock Paul Bird stealing the lineout ball and from the ensuing maul Wood forced his way over. Rasch converted well and then added three points from a penalty.
But still a lackluster Westoe could find little cohesion until the yellow cards went up and a red mist came down.
*The young ones shone in the Vic Young-sponsored Fourth XV’s 22-0 win in a fast and open Northumberland League game away from home against Medicals 11.
Colts Michael Booth, scrum half, with three tries, and fly half Stuart Woodhouse, who converted two and kicked a penalty, accounted for all their side’s points, while captain Derek Tighe singled out 18-year-old winger Adam Thompson for a special plaudit.
*Both the Seconds and Thirds were forced into idleness when league opponents Durham City and Border Park cried off, pleading a shortage of players.
