New Brighton Crash at Lightfoot Green

Team Sheet: 15. Juan Schoeman, 14. Sean Ellis, 13. Richard Halpin, 12. Ian Murray, 11. Alistair Child, 10. Steve Dean, 9. Alan Hesketh, 1. Chris Naylor, 2. Phil Buckley, 3. Damian Penisini, 4. Jez Lamb, 5. Andy Donaldson, 6. Jon Sewell, 7. Wayne Clayton, 8. Kati Tui'pulotu.
Replacements: 16. Dan Searle, 17. Mark Dorrington, 18, Jon Harris.

For a team striving to drag themselves up to the demanding level needed to survive in the National League a defeat by eleven tries, eight conversions and a penalty goal to two converted tries and a penalty goal, was a devastating blow. It will be a big call on the coaching and motivational skills of Rugby Chairman, Karl Davies, and his backroom staff to lift their charges for the daunting encounter with Bradford and Bingley at Hartsfield next Saturday. A task not eased by the equally severe pounding suffered by the Second XV who lost by 114 points to 5 at Hartsfield.

Preston’s sure handling, power and pace shredded the New Brighton defence almost at will and made the visitors efforts look laboured and leaden footed by comparison. A try saving tackle which the referee rightly judged to be high gave Preston’s fly half Paul Bailey the first opportunity to put points on the board and he duly put his side ahead by three points and hardly a minute on the clock. From the restart the Preston attack slipped smoothly into gear for full back Olly Viney to run in his first try from 70 metres and with a conversion put the home side 10 points up in less than three minutes.

A couple of penalty decisions and a plucky solo effort by Alan Hesketh moved the Blues into the Preston half and Steve Dean made no mistake when offered a penalty within kickable range to temporarily reduce the deficit. But Olly Viney was again on hand seconds after the restart to round off a move and claim his second try on 13 minutes, converted by Paul Bailey to bring the score to 17 – 3.

The procession continued. On 16 minutes it was Toby Foster (prop), on 20 minutes it became the turn of Phil Meadwell (wing) followed by scrum half Darren Wilson who scored tries on 33 minutes and 35 minutes by picking the ball at the base of the scrum and waltzing through the defence with consummate ease. Wing, Owen McKenna rounded off the half with his try to bring the total number of tries in the first half to seven and with Paul Bailey’s five conversions to add to his early penalty the home side went in for the break with 48 points to 3 advantage.

Half Time Score: Preston Grasshoppers 48 - 3 New Brighton

New Brighton were able to tighten up their defences in the second half but not before open side Glyn Dewhurst and Paul Bailey had further stretched the lead with tries on the 42^nd and 45^th minutes respectively. The Blues managed to put the pressure on the Grasshoppers for a brief period during which John Sewell forced himself over with Steve Dean adding the extras on 52 minutes to bring the score to 60 – 10 but the superiority of the home side was never remotely in dispute. Owen McKenna and Kati Tuipulotu exchanged tries, both converted, on the 65^th and 68^th minute respectively to bring the scores to 67 – 17 and Phil Meadwell put and end to the agony on the stroke of full time with the second of his tries, also converted by Paul Bailey. .

Full Time Score: Darlington 74 - 17 New Brighton

Next Home Game
- BRADFORD AND BINGLEY -
HARTSFIELD Sat. 4^th February. 2006.