Miller Homes League

One That Got Away

This game was there to be won by New Brighton but with defences largely on top and too many basic errors it was left to Birkenhead Park to take the points with a try in the final minutes of stoppage time.

For the first quarter New Brighton were pinned back in their own half, Birkenhead Park benefiting from New Brighton infringements and consequential penalty decisions. Penalty kicks to the corner and forward drives was the game plan and the Blues did well to resist the pressure. It was, never the less, New Brighton who were the first to score with an unconverted try on twenty two minutes. A smart break by Mike Smith created the opportunity for Mike Gazzola to carry the ball deep into the the Park 22. A dropped pass put an end to the move but the pressure was maintained for Barry Ryland to charge down an attempted clearance and win the scramble for the touchdown.

Park replied just on the break with a try, also unimproved, to level the scores at 5 - 5 for the start of the second half. A break by Mark Simon in the second half saw the big centre in the clear and should have led to a score but the cover managed to snuff out the move and the ball went loose. Honours were roughly shared until the last five minutes of the half when Park kicked a penalty into the corner for a lineout five metres from the line. New Brighton held the surge but gave away another penalty in the process. This circle of events was repeated no less than five times until a scrum awarded to the Blues seemed to relieve the pressure. A heel against the head again put New Brighton on the back foot with problems compounded by a yellow card for Sean Williams for repeated infringement. This time the penalty to the corner and forward drive brought results and and Park claimed the match with a five point margin.

Despite a disappointing result there were some stirring performances from the Blues. Mike Smith, although slight in appearance, shirks nothing in defence and is quick enough to around the base of the scrum to catch the eye. The back row of Adam Whatling, Craig Smithson and Paul Roberts also put in a creditable performance although two out of the three would have looked more familiar in the front row. Sean Ellis and Lee Brogan are quick and elusive and both put in some exciting runs from deep though, at times, a kick might have been the prefered option.

Team Sheet: 1. Sean Smith, 2. Dan Stafford, 3. Kevin Pollard, 4. Mike Gazzola, 5.Dan Clare, 6. Craig Smithson, 7. Adam Whatling, 8. Paul Roberts, 9. Mike Smith, 10. Barry Ryland, 11. Dan Hayes , 12.Mark Simon , 13. Will Daniels, 14. Sean Williams (Spence), 15. Sean Ellis.
Substitutes: 16.Lee Brogan, 18. Craig Wilson, 19 Phil Radley