Under the inspiring captainship of veteran Andy Almond a minimum Warrington squad of fifteen showed enterprise and determination to secure victory against a well drilled Garstang side. Although Warrington started with fifteen, injuries unfortunately meant that for significant stretches of the game they played with fourteen or thirteen men. However, they were never behind and hung on grimly for a win in this closely contested game.

Winger Harry Rigby opened the scoring for Warrington in the eighth minute taking the scoring pass from Almond after a break and neat off load from centre Kevin McCombie.

Second row Lewis Mercer and prop Brendan Dowle took a blunter approach but provided clean recycle ball which gave the half back partnership of Christian Johnson and Almond room to manoeuvre. A break by Almond on half way put winger Rikoe Jansen in the clear and the speedy youngster notched up Warrington’s second try in the fifteenth minute. Almond added the extras but Garstang struck back almost immediately when a nice inside pass from their stand-off parted the Warrington defence. 12-5

Warrington were now more on the defence and it took Henry O’Neill to steal some Garstang
line out ball on the Warrington 5 metre line to relieve the pressure. Some last ditch tackling was also called for from full back River Cole to prevent another score from the visitors as they broke through the centre.

Garstang continued to press, however, charging down a Warrington clearance kick and gaining a 5 metre scrum in the process. With Warrington reduced to fourteen men through injury to middle row Ian Wadcock, they drove the scrum over for their second try. 12-12

Just before half time, however, Warrington re-established their lead when Almond caught Garstang napping when he took a quick penalty and fed a pass wide to scrum half Johnson who grounded in the corner.

HT 17-12

Early in the second half an excellent line from Logan Lager took the centre under the posts but the pass from Almond was forward.

Although now down to thirteen men as Mccombie had had to leave the field, Warrington attacked with flair. Almond took another quick penalty and continued with a well weighted kick for Jansen to chase for his second try, Almond converted. 24-12

Warrington, however, were unable to sustain pressure as they were frequently penalised for high tackles. Garstang gained easy territory from these penalties but some of the gains were annulled as O’Neill pilfered the ball for Warrington at the subsequent line outs. More stout defensive work notably from Mercer and Cole was needed as the visitors began to gain the ascendency and pressed hard on the Warrington line.

With ten minutes to go Garstang rumbled over from short range to put them within one score of a draw. In the remaining tense minutes, Warrington nearly scored again through Yoxall and Howson but the final whistle was welcome as Garstang were once more on the Warrington line.

FT 24-17

Report by Roy Potts WRUFC

Next Game Warrington 2nd XV v Vale of Lune 3rd XV on Saturday 25th October KO 3pm