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The Comeback Kings Do It Again
Sunday 07 of February, 2010 01:02 Age: 212 days
Thatto Heath Crusaders 36 v 18 Skirlaugh
Three tries in a golden five minute period either side of half time broke the resolve of our high flying visitors and gave Heath the breathing space to record an, in the end, surprisingly easy victory.
At 10 – 0 and 14 – 6 after 27 minutes Skirlaugh had the game in the bag. But in a bizarre parody of their season so far, Skirlaugh found a way to throw their advantage away and invited Heath back into it. And as we know only too well, our boys don’t need to be invited twice.
As we experienced twice last year, if you let them Skirlaugh will show you exactly how you should engineer a game plan and can stick to it to a tee. However, what we have managed to learn since then is how to blow that all apart with dogged determination and not too little skill and endeavour.
Despite two Froddy interceptions Skirlaugh were dealing well with anything we threw at them until the Scud missile that is Carl Lamb was introduced into the fray. Immediately his run down the left induced a penalty from which a quick tap sent Jamie Hill sidestepping his way over for his first.
Lamby again along with Scott Clarke set up the position for Stotty’s cross kick which so nearly gave Daz a score in the corner. But the tide was turning and when Walshy intercepted to go 60 metres to score the visitors were crying out for the half time whistle.
The recovery was complete as Jamie scored his second expertly touching down Maddocks’s grubber. Quinny’s third conversion out of three put Heath in front at the break.
Going in behind after dominating the majority of the half as they had would have hurt Skirlaugh. But the best way to counter that is to score quickly which is exactly what Heath did. Two excellent drives down the blind side from Maddocks took Heath deep in Skirlaugh territory. On the last Stotty’s pin point cross kick was tapped back by Daz and picked up by Jamie for his hat-trick score.
From that point on Heath had it in the bag. The visitors discipline, from both players and coaching staff alike deteriorated and with it went any chance of turning the game around.
Daz Woods got his customary try accepting Maddocks’s pass after Lamby had again done the hard yards.
Fabulously aggressive defence forced the visitors into a knock on in their own 20 metre area and four tackles later Stotty kept his good looks (!!) by ducking out of the way and stretching over to score.
Ste Ward crowned an accomplished display off the bench with a great break down the middle. Beating one he sidestepped two on his way out to the left feeding first AB then on the Jamie before the ball was lost to touch. Easy as it is from the side, if any one of those three had straightened the line was at their mercy.
Not to worry as Scott Clarke put the icing on Heath’s wonderful cake with a trademark 40 metre dash from dummy half rounding the full back with ease to touch down at the posts.
Disappointingly Skirlaugh got a consolation try that their second half petulance didn’t deserve, but the gloss couldn’t be taken off Heath’s win.
Where do you start? Beechy led from the front as usual ably supported, in a rare starting appearance, by Martin Shea. Ste Woods was as confrontational as ever, AB was the rock and the frills and thrills were provided by Stotty, Jamie et al. But, despite nearly ruining my notes by throwing up over them, Maddocks’s had enough of a hand in everything that was good to be my MOM.
The Hattons Solicitors Man Of The Match was awarded ti Kieron Maddocks while The Spectators Award went to hat-trick hero Jamie Hill.
Roll on Panthers and the Big Cup!!
Rest of the pictures here:
picasaweb.google.com/thattoheathcrusaders/SkirlaughNatCup
Thatto Heath Crusaders
1. Shaun Quinn
2. Darren Woods
3. Jamie Hill
4. David Johnson
5. Adam Walsh
6. Andy Stott
7. Chris Frodsham
8. Mick Ledger
9. Keiron Maddocks
10. Martin Shea
11. Ste Woods
12. Andy Bailey
13. Mark Beech
14. Scott Clarke
15. Carl Lamb
16. David Bates
17. Ste Ward
Skirlaugh
1. Marc Smith
2. James Tindall
3. Kirk Abel
4. Stuart Smith
5. Danny Moss
6. Mathew Danville
7. Jordan Precious
8. Trevor Penrose
9. Craig Todd
10. Steve Atkinson
11. Sean Wildbore
12. Matty Bowers
13. Steve Cockrayne
14. Craig Render
15. Kevin Sumpton
16. John Young
17. Mark Spence
Thatto Heath Crusaders:
Tries : Darren Woods, Jamie Hill 3, Adam Walsh, Andy Stott, Scott Clarke.
Goals : Shaun Quinn 4.
Drop Goals :.
Skirlaugh:
Tries : James Tindall 2, Danny Moss, Kevin Sumpton.
Goals : Jordan Precious.
Drop Goals :.
Half Time : Thatto Heath Crusaders 18 Skirlaugh 14
Full Time : Thatto Heath Crusaders 36 Skirlaugh 18
