Browse Sections

• Local football
• Local cricket

Aldwinians 20-11 Wigton

1/10/2008

ALDWINIANS stayed in control of this despite facing a Wigton side who were never out of contention at Audenshaw Park.

A well flighted kick-off by Acheson enabled scrum-half Thorpe to be first there to collect the ball and set up the early play in the visitors’ half.

With Wigton on the back foot, they were forced into conceding penalties with Acheson stepping up in the second minute for after Wigton failed to roll away.

Then, after a strong run by skipper Palmer set up an attacking ruck, stand-off Mooney was high tackled on five minutes and the score rose to 6-0.

There were brief sorties into the Aldwinians half as Wigton threatened but could never develop the play and the home side were soon back on the attack.

Mooney was kicking well to touch from penalties and put in some useful penetrating kicks into the visitors’ 22.

However, lineout play was hampered as the referee regularly penalised Aldwinians for not throwing in straight and the visitors’ defence cleared the pressure.

From one such recovery, they gained a penalty on 23 minutes to reduce the arrears to 6-3.

Aldwinians came back again and maintained control for most of the second quarter, scoring a try on the half-hour when the ball came through a midfield ruck to Mooney who chipped a low ball through for Worrall.

He dribbled the ball on at speed and beat the covering defence to touch down and make it 11-3.

An exchange of penalties followed with Acheson’s 33rd minute score cancelled out three minutes later when a ruck offence and a further 10 metres for dissent gave a kickable position to the visitors and a 14-6 scoreline at half-time.

Wigton came out in the second half with a sharper attitude and had the best of the opportunities in the third quarter.

The forwards worked hard to generate positions from which the midfield backs could run hard at the defence but Aldwinians’ defence was able to snuff out all the attempts.

A try out of nothing then arrived in the 61st minute when a turnover handed Wigton possession.

They chipped forward, and with no covering defence, their stand-off was able to score an unchallenged try and put them back in the game at 14-11 down.

Aldwinians were able to gain some relief from the pressure as a number of penalties came their way and allowed Mooney to kick clear.

With 10 minutes remaining and Aldwinians driving towards the posts, Wigton conceded a penalty which Acheson converted before he sealed victory with another kick in added time to make it two wins from three league games.