Saturday 21st April saw Colne & Nelsons 1st team play their last game of the season at fortress Holt House to 3rd place Chorley. This wasn’t just another league game, as it turned out this was to be a ‘winner takes all’ Battle Royale. With Chorley just 3 points behind Colne & Nelson but with another game to play, it was quite simple...the winner would be promoted.

The game was also sponsored by the Tindall family in dedication to Mavis who sadly passed away last week. Many family members and friends all came along to show their respects and provide the biggest crowd of the season to witness what was no doubt, the hardest fought, end to end, heavy weight contest of the season.

Chorley kicked off and although Colne took the ball well, the return was met with a good solid Chorley defence. Matty Tindall decided to take the option to kick deep into the Chorley half with an early test of the visitors back three. The next few minutes were an exchange of ‘kick tennis’ with both teams waiting to see where the break would come from. The All Blacks then launched their first attack with a good break by Tindall and excellent support by Alex Bullock, Gary Kenyon and Adam Hartley, the latter chipping over the Chorley defence only for the Chorley fullback to knock the ball on. Colne took the first scrum and fed the ball out to the backs and were awarded a penalty for a Chorley offside. Fly-half Dean Edwards kicked the ball down field and into touch fifteen metres from the Chorley try line. From the resulting line-out, the ball was quickly spun out to the Colne backs and through the hands for winger Gary Kenyon to score in the corner. Conversion scored by Matty Tindall. Colne & Nelson 7 – 0 Chorley.

A few minutes later, Colne produced another try. The Colne attack breaking through the Chorley defence from an initial lineout and the ball being fed out to winger Kenyon who crossed the whitewash but this time held-up by good Chorley defence. However from the resulting scrum, Kyle Hargreaves saw space around the blindside and squeezed through the smallest of gaps to score in the corner. Conversion missed. Colne & Nelson 12 – 0 Chorley.

Chorley kicked off again and this time a break by Colne winger Alex Bullock took the ball into the Chorley half only for the away sides Linesman to deem that Bullock had placed a foot into touch. From the lineout, Chorley were able to make a break and three phases later cross the try line for their first score of the game. Conversion missed. Colne & Nelson 12 – 5 Chorley.

Colne kicked off and were immediately on the attack again with a fantastic take by Antony Minshull however with some scramble defence, Chorley were eventually able to clear their lines with a kick into Colne’s half. A few minutes later Chorley were awarded a penalty and from a good break were able to cross the try line however outstanding defence from Colne saw the ball held up. From the scrum Chorley chose to attack the blindside and score in the corner. However due to a superb charge-down by Matty Tindall, no extra points were added. Conversion missed. Colne & Nelson 12 – 10 Chorley.

Colne kicked off again and although this time Chorley caught the ball, they weren’t expecting an enormous hit from Antony Minshull causing the Chorley player to knock-on. Colne were awarded the scrum on the Chorley twenty-two and slick handling from the Colne backs saw Gary Kenyon break again but to be stopped illegally. Colne kicked the resulting penalty into touch and from the line-out, Antony Minshull was able to score. Conversion scored by Matty Tindall. Colne & Nelson 19 – 10 Chorley.

Chorley were the next to score, again from a scrum and again at the second attempt in crossing the line due to the first attempt being held-up by a resolute Colne defence. Conversion missed. Colne & Nelson 19 – 15 Chorley.

As half time approached, Chorley were awarded another scrum just fifteen metres out from the Colne try line and with the final play of the first half, scored under the posts to put them into the lead for the first time in the game. Conversion scored. Colne & Nelson 19 – 22 Chorley.

Colne kicked off the second half and the first few minutes saw mistakes by both teams, each trying to get a foot-hold on the game. A break by Colne winger Alex Bullock then took the home side deep into the Chorley half. Some good ball retention and a few phases later saw the ball fed out wide for Gary Kenyon to score in the corner again. Conversion scored by Matty Tindall. Colne & Nelson 26 – 22 Chorley.

Chorley kicked off and this time a superb carry from Zach Bullock put the All Blacks deep into the Chorley half. Tindall was unable to collect his own chip over the Chorley defence and the away side were able to clear. The next score came from a Chorley lineout. A fantastic steal by Antony Minshull lead to a break by Jamie Gane, who despite being tackled had to awareness to pop the ball up to Tindall and allow the Colne playmaker to score in the corner. Conversion missed. Colne & Nelson 31 – 22 Chorley.

It was clear to see that despite an end-to-end first half, against a very physical and capable Chorley team, the constant attacking threat of the Colne backs and hard hitting defence of the pack was starting to wear the away side down and this was no more apparent when captain Adam Padgett broke through the Chorley defence and with the most audacious dummy pass on the outside, sent Matty Tindall away with an inside pass beat two defenders and score. Conversion missed. Colne & Nelson 36 – 22 Chorley.

In all fairness to Chorley, they never gave up and still offered some excellent phases of play. One attack saw them cross the Colne whitewash but in typical All Blacks fashion, a crunching last ditch tackle by Zach Bullock saw the ball dislodged before the Chorley attacker was able to ground it.

Colne were determined to take the game away from Chorley and did so with another three points. Another break by centre Jamie Gane and a quick thinking pick and go by Rob Davy left Chorley no option but to try and stem the attack with a high tackle, resulting in a yellow card for the Chorley offender. Dean Edwards had no problem slotting the ball between the sticks. Colne & Nelson 39 – 22 Chorley.

The All blacks were starting to turn the screw and with breaks from Liam Husband, Alex Bullock and even Zach Bullock throwing dummy passes, the game was running away from the distraught away side. Every time the Chorley side managed to get some hold on the game, there was Antony Minshull to steal the ball at every opportunity. Chorley eventually won a lineout in the Colne half but another steal, this time by James Finucane, saw a forty metre break by Gary Kenyon and with only the fullback to beat, executed a perfect chip through, that the real All Blacks would have been proud of, for Tindall to race onto and score his hat-trick. Conversion scored by Matty Tindall. Colne & Nelson 46 – 22 Chorley.

This was the last score of the game, and a few minutes later, the referee blew for time to an ecstatic home crowd.