The long-suffering supporters of Wilmslow’s 1st team made the short journey to Eccles Rugby Club, bordering on Barton airfield, for the first time since 1923. They travelled wondering whether they were going to watch Dr. Jeykell’s team, which had played so well at Warrington, or Mr. Hyde’s team, which had put on such a shocking display the week before against Kirkby Lonsdale. In the event, the game was a mixture of both.

In scoring three tries and two penalties to the two tries and one penalty by the home side, Wilmslow will have been relieved to eventually have come away with valuable league points, enabling them to stay in contact with the main body of the league, albeit in tenth position. It wasn’t a particularly convincing performance in what developed into a scrappy error filled affair but they do seem unable to take control of a game by playing safer, less risky, options when they have to and taking all the opportunities which come their way. Too often the emphasis is on trying to introduce blistering individual pace, when a more team aware orientation would pay better dividends.

Eccles, for their part are yet to win a league game this season but they have troubled everyone they have faced thus far, not only Wilmslow. They had their chances to cause an upset on this occasion and if they had been penalised less for technical offences in the tackle and on the floor, they could well have got something from this game. A soft touch, they are most certainly not.

The Wolves went seven points ahead within five minutes when No. 8 Alex Taylor took the ball from a 22 drop out to release skipper No. 7 Mike Black on a powerful surge towards the Eccles line before the ball found its way to Harry Patch, who shrugged off several tacklers to score.

You disregard Patch at your peril. The tousle haired winger at first glance doesn’t look much of a threat but he’s shown since coming into the side that he’s a powerful force, hard to get hold of and has a nose for the try line. Nothing new in any of this as the former WHS player has been demonstrating these characteristics all the way through the junior ranks. He’s taken some knocks along the way but is now happily back to full strength. Reputedly he’s amongst the strongest and most abrasive of the current squad. He won’t though have earned any plaudits from coach Rick Jones, when late in the game, indulging in an Ashtonesque flying dive for the Wolves fourth and bonus point try, he ignominiously dropped the ball in mid air.

The Wolves period of early dominance continued but they knocked on just short of the line. A strong cross wind made kicking difficult and Bob MacCallum saw two penalty efforts go wide.

Instead, it was Eccles who scored next. They had got themselves into Wilmslow territory on the quarter hour and Waring took his chance when the Wolves were penalised at the lineout.

Play continued with never ending errors by both sides, Eccles proving equal to the task of keeping Wilmslow in their own half until Wolves lock Mike Clifford was yellow-carded, harshly in the opinion of Wilmslow supporters, for a high tackle on a player who at about five foot six inches, was a clear twelve inches shorter and falling to the ground at the time. With the penalty, Eccles kicked to touch and from the ensuing line-out, number eight, Dale, scored out wide; the conversion failed, but Eccles had gone into the lead 7-8, with minutes to go to half-time.

From the restart, Wilmslow took the ball into their opponent’s half and Eccles were penalised for holding on to the ball after a tackle. This time, MacCallum made no mistake with the kick to make the score 10-8 at the interval. The lead was increased almost immediately after the break with a second successful kick, this time after a late tackle by a home player, following a threatening run by Wolves winger, Ian Culligan. The lead was extended when scrum half Nick Barker scored a fine try. Barker had looked promising at scrum half back in the late summer and with a couple of games now under his belt can look forward to a period of tenure in the position.

The ten point lead didn’t last long though as Eccles progressed into the Wilmslow half and some bad tackling let Fred Oakey in for a try. The kick was missed, but at 13-18, the game was still anyone’s to have.

At this point, the Wolves seemed to wake up, several good runs were only stopped by good defence, until a scintillating backs move led to Ian Culligan scoring in the corner. No conversion, so the score moved on to 23-13, where it stayed. There was still time for Patch’s flying officer demonstration, perhaps influenced by what he’d been seeing on the adjoining airfield.

The blustery weather and refereeing all contributed to a scrappy game. The wind kept changing direction and strength, making like difficult for the hookers at the lineout. Add to this, referee Taylor’s natural tendency to go for the whistle, instead of allowing the game to flow when he could.

Eccles have proved they can be difficult to beat and if they could cut out their persistent infringing for not releasing in particular, they should soon be able to get league points on the board. A big test awaits them in a fortnight’s time when they play their fellow promoted team, away at Bolton.

Wilmslow must hope for a return to the Dr. Jeykell performance at Warrington with the return of some of their injured players.