Away game blues

The marvellous victory over second placed Liverpool St. Helens on the 24th March proved to be the meat between two poor pieces of bread. Following the thrashing by Sandbach the week before, the Wolves travelled to Wirral on Saturday, a team one place and four points behind us in the league, with high hopes of a win and confirmation of a stay in North 1 West.

It wasn’t to be. They lost 15-23, thus missing a vital bonus point and although they are still ahead of Wirral on points scored difference, the omens are not favourable for the next two games against Wigton and Broughton Park, both of whom won on Saturday to move up to 44 points, 4 behind Wilmslow.

The team started brightly enough and within five minutes were ahead 3-0, thanks to a penalty from Bob McCallum when the Wirral backs strayed offside. Something they did thereafter all afternoon with impunity. The pack, with young Adam Hewitt deputising for the injured Ben Jones, were again dominant but, following a turnover, the home backs ran through the Wolves defence and full back, D. Harvey scored by the touchline. His brother, C. Harvey missed the conversion; score 3-5.

From the restart, a clean catch and drive by the Wirral forwards led to another break by their backs and a repeat score by D. Harvey and, having found his range, a conversion by his brother. 3-12. This was shortly followed by a penalty to make the score 3-15. At this stage, it looked, to the faithful Wilmslow supporters, as though the game was going to go the same way as the Sandbach game. However, the pack kept working their way towards the Wirral line, despite fine clearing kicks from their backs, and eventually Hugo Corbett barged his way over the line from a driving maul. Bob missed the conversion to leave the score 8-15, at which it remained until half-time.

Wilmslow improved in the second half; better defence in the backs and continued dominance in the line-out and scrums. Sadly, on one incursion into the Wolves twenty-two, Wirral were awarded a penalty for offside and C. Harvey made no mistake with the kick. 8-18 against the run of play. The forwards continued to pressurise their opposition and, following several collapsed mauls, Wilmslow were given a Penalty try, converted by Bob to bring the score to a very winning chance at 15-18, with ten minutes to go. With the forward pressing again in the Wirral half, someone transgressed in the ruck and the clearing penalty took the home side into the Wilmslow half. Yet another penalty, this time for offside, took Wirral to the Wilmslow twenty-two and from the ensuing line-out and drive, although Wilmslow managed to get hold of the ball, it ended up in the hands of Annetts, who nipped over to score. The kick failed, the final whistle blew and Wilmslow lost 15-23.

Although kick-off receiving had been practiced during the week, it still proved to be the Wolves Achilles heel. Of the four kick-offs they received, only one was properly gathered and the other three put the team under immediate pressure. They will have to improve for the next game, at home to Wigton on April 14th – a “must win” fixture to put us safe for season 2012-13.