ROSSENDALE RFC 30 v DMPRFC 24

Performances like this against similar sides in the league will hopefully not be repeated if Park are to establish themselves in this league, as it was quite simply not good enough.

Again, Rossendale RFC, as we had observed against Rochdale, possessed the experienced campaigners in the forwards, who expect to batter their way through games, keeping things tight and trying to dominate from close quarters.

The game therefore, was never going to be an exciting spectacle of running rugby, although the match reports of the opposition suggested that and perhaps their author had seen something different.

An early penalty for the home team was given for a front row offence under the posts and was easily slotted, to make it 0 - 3.

This was counteracted immediately when a period of Park pressure allowed the home side to transgress at ruck time and Ben Snook replied in kind, with his equalising and only penalty score of the game to make it a 3 – 3 scoreline.

Rossendale scored the first try after pressure was applied and the Park defence failed. The conversion taken, seeing Park in arrears, 3 – 10.

Another Rossendale penalty was added, before man of the match Andrew Tonkin found a gap in the home defence, to score under the posts. Ben Snook adding the conversion to make it 10 – 13 at the break.

Again, with some sloppy defence, Rossendale added to their scoring, with a try scored after some good forward persistence and an easy conversion, to make it 10 – 20. This was followed up by another converted try and a penalty and all of a sudden 10 – 30 looked unassailable.

Park at last decided enough was enough and attempted the best come back since Lazarus was a lad with two converted tries in reasonably quick succession from Ritchie Young and Jason Elliott. But it was all too little, too late, as although the Rossendale team were out on their feet, they managed to hang on for the win.

A game to forget, but to hopefully learn from.

(Incidentally and not sour grapes at all, the Rossendale website depicts a photograph of one of the tries by a prop, where interestingly enough the player is clearly not in control of the ball when he 'scores' - what price for two assistant referees or a video referee !!!!!!!!!!!)