The Wolves had bravely battled back from being twenty points behind just before halftime to be leading 35-39 well into the last play of the game. With twenty seconds still on the clock, all they had to do was to run it down with a couple more picks and drives before putting the ball out of play. At that stage, Mike Black, in a bit of a no man’s land, received the ball and had little option but to move it to his backs and off they went. The ball reached Lawrence James on the right wing and, had he known it, all he had to do was to put either the ball or himself into touch and the game was over. In Corinthian style though he carried on running, his long legs pumping as he ran away from his support and into the LSH tacklers covering across. He hung onto the ball though a fraction too long for referee Taylor’s taste and LSH were awarded a penalty in their own half. It was a last chance for them and how they kept their nerve and patience to take play up field before creating space on their left wing for Dan Filson. He still had over thirty metres to go but seeing his way ahead blocked, he put in a little chip, which he collected himself and then outran the defence to score a dramatic try, worthy of winning any game.

The Wolves had won two games this season, one of them against LSH in September, with the last play of each game and had come from behind in several others so it was almost inevitable that, sooner or later, the coin would land on the other side. Such though are the fine margins between success and failure in this season’s North 1 West League in which nearly 40% of all matches have been won or lost by seven points or less.

LSH had started the afternoon five points behind Wilmslow in the table. For them it’s something of a rebuilding season after losing a whole fistful of first choice players last summer. They still have the experienced No. 8 Phil Kearns, who put in a full and highly influential stint in this game, to call on, the experienced No. 10, Greg Smith, Ian Stanley, as lethal as ever, now plying his trade at full back and when they’re fit they still have Jan Lourens and Dave Westhead but many of the others are young players, still relatively new to stepping up to 1st. team rugby. They’ve had their setbacks in the process but six wins from fourteen showed that they weren’t too far off the pace.

The match started with the Wolves, all hustle and bustle, taking the game to their opponents but a dropped pass enabled LSH to get a feel of the ball and to test the Wolves defence. On ten minutes though, they were penalised for crossing and from the ensuing lineout the Wolves decided to run the ball. Tom Rayner came in off his wing to take a pass in midfield and to speed through the gap. Nobody could lay hand on him as he went all the way for the opening score.

We now had a period of dominance from LSH. Five minutes later, they earned an attacking scrum in the Wolves twenty two and then created the opportunity for Stanley to join the line and to scythe through the Wolves defence for their first score. With a stiffish breeze in their favour, they were able to enjoy more of the field position and when Wilmslow attempted an ambitious move out of defence on around half way an intercepted pass by winger Jake Hodson handed them their second try. It was just the first of four interception tries. Fly half Greg Smith’s break then set up winger Dan Filson for the first of his hat trick of tries. Briefly, the Wolves got into LSH territory where James landed a penalty but they still insisted on risking life and death with long miss passes in the wind, some of which would go to hand and others, which would go to the wrong hands. Filson’s second try came when he intercepted on half way. It was now 28-8 to the home side but on the stroke of half time, the Wolves took a lineout on the LSH twenty two and this time the passing put James in and it was 28-15 at the break.

It was now the Wolves turn to do some intercepting and within a minute of the second half getting under way, hooker Max Harvey did just that for try number three. The restart was dropped and from the scrum, LSH advanced through the centre and when Wilmslow infringed, a quick tap penalty saw LSHhooker John Windle restore their advantage. Clifford and Harrison Lewis were now dominating the lineout and from quick clean ball Ben Day joined the line from full back to surge through the middle and when the ball was passed, there was second row Mike Clifford, who’d covered all the way across, to take the scoring pass on the left wing. A fine raking kick with the wind behind it now set up a lineout ten yards from the LSH line Big Harrison Lewis leapt higher than all for the ball and then to crash through the defence for try number five. It was now 35 -32 with fifteen minutes still to go and the money, not so smartly it transpired, was now on the Wolves but they got stuck in their own half and couldn’t get into the field position they needed as long clearing penalties and other kicks up field just didn’t find their mark. Eventually it took the fourth interception try by James with three minutes left to edge them in front.

But then. when all seemed lost, came the final match winning riposte by the home side, which was greeted by hoots of joy and ecstasy from the home players and their supporters but from the Wolves, there was just disbelief and agony.

The league season now takes a break until 4th. January when Broughton Park will be the visitors to the Memorial Ground.