Final Score: Sefton Gunners: 3
tries – Caldy: 2 tries
Sefton Gunners Under 10s
continued to demonstrate a game-by-game improvement in their clash against
Caldy on Sunday 29th October.
Both sides fought hard for their respective scores
under a cloudless autumn sky; the match itself was played with a crisp and
bruising intensity.
Sefton opened the score with an
early try that was a fitting tribute to the team’s excellent first fifteen
minutes of play. The home side started in terrific style, defending
steadily and confidently until a sudden midfield break by scrum- and
fly-half Luke Baxendale took him on a darting sprint around the opposition
to leave Caldy 1-0 down.
Towards the end of the first half, however, Caldy
mounted a determined offensive effort, dominating at the scrum and lineout.
Scrambling defensive work and several near misses on
Sefton’s try line ended with Caldy eventually putting one over in the
opposite corner and leveling the score for Half Time.
The second half continued in
the same vein. Both sides played with massive physical commitment and there
were a few stoppages for various lumps and bumps on the way! Sefton’s
second try was the result of some quick handling in the loose following a
sustained period of pressure by both sides in the scrum.
Mistakes and handling errors
crept in and penalties were awarded. Sefton began to lose possession in the
rucks and eventually a mammoth push by the Caldy forwards resulted in
another equalizer. In fact the entire game was played with a sustained
attitude of gritty conviction, demonstrated by a number of decisive tackles
by Paddy McMullen and full back Caleb Williams, with sturdy contributions
from Joe Heritage and winger Adam Beckwith.
Sefton made several breaks
along the touchline, and much of the action in the second half took place
here, with noticeable attacking play from Patrick McGreal and winger Matt
Hughes coming up against Caldy’s solid defense just short of the try line.
Eventually, after some dogged
work by the Gunners’ forwards led by David Murphy and Ryan O’Donnell, the
ball popped out for Luke to find a gap on the Caldy try line and complete a
memorable hat-trick.
The Full Time whistle blew one
short minute later, leaving both sides battered and bruised (including
Sefton forward Tom Cullen bravely nursing a souvenir split lip following an
accidental clash of heads in the ruck).
The Under 10s Gunners can be
justifiably proud of their first home match this season, in which they
showed not only how much they have learned in a short period of time under
coach Mac, but how they continue to adhere to their declared mission
statement: Never a Backward Step.