LYMM RFC 16 v DMPRFC 12

Lymm RFC were always going to fancy themselves on their patch and so it turned out to be the case after eighty eventful minutes of play, where an interception try made the difference, even though the visitors had the better of the chances.

It was the visitors who initially began with more purpose, dominating the early stages against much bigger opponents in the home pack.

However, Lymm absorbed this early pressure and were successful with a well taken penalty after the visiting flanker was adjudged to have transgressed in the tackle, a decision which was to set the tone for the day for the visitors (3 – 0).

Lymm added to their tally with a good unconverted try wide out (8 – 0), leaving the visitors nothing to show for their endeavour.

Things changed when winger Chris McTURK raced in from the 22 metre line, after good forwards and backs interplay (8 – 5). The conversion was successful by Grant CONNON(8 – 7).

It was Lymm’s turn to take the game to the visitors and they dominated several minutes of play prior to oranges, but with only a penalty to show their efforts (11 – 7), DMPRFC still had time to end the half to the better of their opposition, as winger Paul SHEPHERD squeezed in at the corner on oranges (11 – 12).

After oranges, the visitors tried to step up proceedings and pressed for a score early doors.

However, after it seemed it would have been easier to score with numbers on the left, the ball was flung out wide to the right and intercepted virtually on the home try line, whereupon the home player raced away to score against the run of play (16 – 12).

From then on no matter what DMPRFC tried, they made no impression at all on the score.

This was due to a number of factors, including some wrong decisions on their part, some good defence by the home team, but additionally down to number of questionable decisions by the official.

Of course it sounds like sour grapes and it probably is, however, the home side seemed to continually question and influence every decision of the official without punishment, a case in point being a seemingly good try disallowed in the last minutes of the game, harshly for a forward pass with a little help from the home teams remonstrations.

Additionally, one home player was quite rightly sin binned for a deliberate knock on during a possible scoring opportunity, however, not happy with the decision, he took hold of the referee to reinforce his innocence and had to be escorted from the field to serve his punishment. However, prior to returning to the field of play, the player could be seen parading up and down the touchline, shouting and further questioning decisions.

Another home player had a different approach after he transgressed, when again responsible for a deliberate knock on during another possible scoring opportunity, he started to leave the field in anticipation of the inevitable, when his only punishment was for his team to be awarded a scrum against them.

During this frustrating period for the visitors, Lymm did mount attacks of their own, but these came to nothing and they saw out the game for the win and four points.

All credit to Lymm, they are a decent side and they played the game they were allowed to play.