Once more Warrington monopolised opening possession and registered their first score within five minutes. Winger Ryan Eastwood took the ball up to Sefton 5m line wide on the right and captain Danny Fleming was on hand to take the ball over the line when it returned inside. JP Hudson added the extras. 0-7

In the tenth minute, with Warrington harrying Sefton deep in their own half, back rower Sam Whalley received a red card for a high tackle. This harsh decision recognised no mitigation for the facts that the head of the ball carrier was only two feet above the ground as he went down from an earlier tackle and the tackler himself stumbled as he went into the tackle. Even reduced to fourteen men, however, Warrington continued to dominate territory and possession.

In the fifteenth minute, a high tackle on full back Tom McEniff, earned a penalty 30m out but Hudson’s kick hit the posts.

In the twentieth minute a spell of excellent handling involving props Bennett and White and scrum half Hudson finished with stand-off Matt Beeley, touching down under the posts making an easy conversion for JP Hudson. 0-14

Warrington’s line out possession was stuttering, with the result that Sefton began to play more rugby in the Warrington half and only some committed defence from back rower Joe Craven and middle rower Harry Kellett kept the home team at bay.

Forays by Warrington’s back division often took them deep into Sefton territory but poor timing for the final pass meant that these breaks went unrewarded. The ball rarely got as far as Warrington’s speedy wingers, but in the thirtieth minute when it did, winger Jamie Hartill selflessly turned the ball inside to Beeley for his second try under the posts JP Hudson added the conversion. 0-21

HT 0-21

The third quarter of the game was played between the 22s with handling errors creeping in from both teams, perhaps, at least for Warrington, as the toll of playing a man down began to show.

Warrington’s line-outs, however, we’re back on track and Evans’s quick, off the top service to scrum half Hudson provided an exemplary base for Warrington’s attacking plays. With fifteen minutes to go an outrageous dummy from centre JP Hudson sliced open the Sefton defence leaving the way clear for another try under the posts, with the same player knocking over the conversion 0-28

This seemed to reinvigorate Sefton who finally got on the board with a try in the corner after Warrington had repulsed numerous phases up the middle from their forwards. 5-28

Neither were Warrington content with their bonus point try. With five minutes to go, winger Eastwood received the ball with some room to move and galloped 50 metres down the touch only to be brought down 2 metres short. Fortunately scrum half Oli Hudson was in support to pick up and dot the ball over. 5-33

From the restart, Craven collected the ball and forged upfield, handing on to Kellett. The ball was then spun wide to full back McEniff in the line who pirouetted his way to within a yard of the Sefton line where centre Kyle Cherrett finished it off. 5-38

FT 5-38

This was a good result for Warrington’s fourteen men. The try bonus point and results elsewhere on the day put them in strong position for promotion with only two games remaining in that season.

Report by Roy Potts WRUFC