Cuthberts welcomed Thatto Heath to Couger Park today for a real crunch clash. Cuthberts were proudly sporting a new kit kindly sponsored by Seven Stars Motors.

In the dressing room the boys were really up for it, could they take this out on the paddock though?

Cuths kicked off playing up hill in the first half. Cuthberts were really putting pressure on Thatto Heath from the off & the pressure paid off on Thattos first set as they spilled possession struggling to get out of their own half.

Cuthberts were really laying down the gauntlet & it wasn’t long before they took a well deserved lead, Declan Riley & Liam Mutimer were again pulling the strings in midfield & it was Riley who took the ball to the line opening a gap for Jak Booth to streak through, he rounded the full back with relative ease & went in just inside the left touchline, Liam Mutimer was successful with superb kick.

From the kick off Cuthberts knocked on, from the scrum Thatto took a couple of plays & went in for an unconverted try.

Thatto were really starting to pressure & Adam Ward pulled off a superb try saving tackle in the right corner, but a couple of plays later & the big Thatto prop went in under the sticks for a converted try.
Half time 10-6 to Thatto Heath.

Cuthberts seemed to have put a new spring in their step for the second half & again were penning Thatto back but a lapse in concentration let in the Thatto scrum half for a try under the sticks which was duly converted.

Play had to be stopped when Ben Aspinall who was working tirelessly in defence, had to be removed from the pitch after dislocating his thumb. We all hope Ben doesn’t take too long in returning.

This did not dampen the Cuths fire though & some big defence was being used especially by the ever reliable Connor McLoughlin & it was on one of these defensive sets that they caused Thatto to concede two penalties, on the second a planned moved worked to perfection with Mitch Coleman, playing superbly at Full Back, linking up play & putting Leon Williams in at the corner, Jak Booth could not convert from the touchline.

Cuths were playing out of their skin, Declan Riley & Liam Mutimer were always putting Thatto under pressure with a superb kicking game. One of these kicks could not be handled by the Thatto Left winger, Mohammed Ali challenged for the ball, knoked it back for Jak Booth who duly gave a return pass to Ali to go in at the corner, Booth was just wide with the conversion attempt.

With the game coming to an end Cuthberts just could not make their pressure count in the closing stages, final score, Cuthberts 14 – Thatto Heath 16.

A great game & a credit to youth rugby all round with both sides giving & receiving no quarter.

Best for Cuths today were Jak Booth & Mitch Coleman, ably supported all other fifteen players.

Next week the season is wrapped up when Cuths are entertained by Latchford Giants.