Things didn’t start too well for Bolton, and in all honesty they didn’t really improve over the course of 80 minutes. The Higginshaw Centre, built like the proverbial brick outhouse, scored two early tries to set them on their way, and with more tries following in quick succession the game was fast getting out of reach. By the time the first half came to an end the gap was already at 40 points, the Mets defence not covering itself in glory, and leaving Head Coach Al Scarbrough with the impossible task of masterminding a comeback.

Unfortunately, the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, however, there were several positives to take from the game. Recent recruit Alex Stephens went on a barnstorming run, scattering defenders along the way, and even though he managed to get the ball down over the line he was adjudged to have made a double movement. This was a little frustrating as we felt the Home side had benefitted from two similar calls earlier in the game.

Another highlight was the work of Prop Forwards Anthony Knight and Will Brown, both playing out of position but doing what they could for the best of the team. Several strong carries caused the Higginshaw defence problems, and with them being backed up by Loose Forward Rob Tuppen they were helping drive the team forward.

As the game drew to a close the score was now 82-0, the need for some major defensive work was very evident. Despite this, the stats being taken on the sidelines by Clair Jones showed that Anthony Knight was Top Tackler, with 8 first man tackles, 12 second man tackles and only 1 missed tackle. This was a great effort from someone wary of playing in the Prop Forward position prior to the game. Other players worthy of a mention were Mark Riley, Jonathan McMillan and Alex Stephens.

Even though we failed to get on the scoresheet, the opposition still had to pick out a Man of the Match, this was Full Back Patrick OBrien. With high stats in both attack and defence, Patrick stood out above the rest and earned his third MOM of the year so far. The returning Daryl Devlin and Second Row Alex Stephens were runners up, whereas Al Scarbrough picked out Will Brown for individual praise.

Next up is a trip to the seaside as we face Blackpool Stanley on Saturday 6th April.

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