Derby 2s

If I could have given all 20 players man of the match I would have done as every single player left nothing on the pitch . But one word (PRIDE) sums up the team today , In recent weeks we been guilty of showing other teams to much respect and letting their recent performances effect our mind set but this week was totally different we all new how dangerous Derby are but we wasn't going to let them come to our home yard without a fight and what a fight it was . James Hale got the Tows off to a fast start and Ben young converting 7-0 , This stoked the fire and Derby soon hit back and they did it twice within 15 minutes and my thought was are we going to get thumped today and this went through my mind again when Centre Ben Young had to be helped off the pitch with a knee injury and Dougie Rattray also limping off . The squad wasn't at its strongest but never the less we still had very good replacements on the bench , Derby hit us again when Tows went down to 14 men with Gareth Collins getting a yellow half time
7-15 . At half time we didn't change our tactics but I asked for the aggression which I believed we had let slip but to take this game back at them knowing that we could actually win this game . The lads put some much pressure on Derby they forced them into making mistakes and it started to rattle the away team and with this we received a penalty which Callum Garwood put away 10-15 game back on . The came for a while became very much we attack Derby attack and both teams kept testing and looking for the gaps to appear in each other's armour and Fullback James Hale found his gaps all the way from his own 22 shrugging off tackles on his way to bring the game even closer and again Callum Garwood have a very good day slotted for the extra 2 points 17-15 could we hold on and the answer was no with the ref missing a knock on and some foul play Derby thought they had sealed the game and so did I at 17-22 , The shout for heads up from our loyal fans and fellow players the Tows turned over a ruck to attack and camp down in Derbyshire 22 but their defence is outstanding and the Tows had 7 phases on trying to break through but fly half Callum Garwood saw a gap on the other side of the pitch and decided to kick the ball towards the touch line and with myself thinking oh poo there was James Hale who caught the ball and ran over to get Tows on level points 22-22 . All we needed was the conversion but credit to Callum Garwood he gave it his all but the wind decided not to let the ball cross over . Today no team deserved to lose and a draw was fair . Today's man of the match went to vice captain Rob Lees who worked his socks off all game