WARRINGTON 16 - 12 HEATON MOOR

This was a must win game against fellow strugglers at third bottom of the league if Warrington were to maintain any hope of avoiding relegation. This particular hurdle was achieved but it took the final whistle to bring joy and relief to Warrington’s supporters. The game was in doubt to the very end as the wet, heavy conditions resulted in thrills, a few, and spills, in abundance, from both sides.

The visitors forced an early 5m line-out when Warrington were penalised, for not releasing in the tackle. The line-out was successfully defended, the ensuing scrum less so. Although scrum half Ollie Hudson successfully disrupted a push-over try, Heaton Moor maintained the pressure to register the first score of the game. 0-5.

Winger Jack Rigby was then instrumental in keeping Heaton Moor at bay as they floated a precision cross kick into Warrington’s in goal area.

After this first ten minutes, Warrington began to exert control and a good combination from Bennett and Lynch got Warrington over the try line but not grounded. However, two minutes later captain Downes made sure, taking a quick penalty to himself and barging over from 15 metres out. 5-5.

For the rest of the half, the play was scrappy but predominantly in the visitor’s half. Heaton Moor had the edge in the set scrums putting pressure on scrum half Hudson who struggled to get a quick service out to stand-off Danny Newens. Warrington’s line-out too stuttered and was not a reliable’ source of quick ball with which to launch attacks. If Warrington were on the back foot when it came to attack, this was not the case with their defence and committed tackling from Lynch, Tierney and Fielding amongst others deprived Heaton Moor of much gain, forcing numerous spills.

Indiscipline on both sides contributed to a stop start game but although Warrington earned a yellow card for a deliberate knock on, Heaton Moor’s infringements were costlier, allowing full back Ben Dixon to slot two penalties in the second quarter.

HT 11-5

Two minutes into the second half, Warrington received a second yellow card for a similar attempted interception but Heaton Moor were unable to capitalise on their extra man. Fifteen minutes in, committed tackling caused Heaton Moor to cough up possession, and Josh Riley, on at No 8 for the injured Danny Fleming, snapped up the loose ball and scampered 30 metres for Warrington’s second try. 16-5.

However, Warrington were now also winning on the penalty count and were finding it difficult to get out of their own half. Long, pressure relieving kicks were not finding touch and the visitors tended to regain much of the territory in counter attacks. In one such attack, with ten minutes to go, the Heaton Moor winger, having eluded three Warrington first up tacklers, took the ball up to the Warrington 22 where a few more phases from the forwards earned their second try. 16-12.

With neither side able to control the ball well in the increasingly wet conditions, a nail biting ten minutes ensued. To exacerbate the situation, as tension developed, further indiscipline earned Warrington a third yellow card. Successive long clearance kicks from Dixon and Newens ensured the last few minutes were played in Heaton Moor’s half but a collective sigh of relief went up when the final whistle went.

FT 16-12

Report by Roy Potts WRUFC