Sat 23 Mar 2024 11:06
Sat 16 Mar 2024
Eccles produced a clinical first half performance against Broughton Park at Gorton Street to maintain their position at the top of Lancashire & Cheshire Counties 1. The trip to Hough End earlier in the season had resulted in a comfortable away win for Eccles and the reverse fixture did not initially appear to cause the hosts too many problems after leading try scorer Gavin Ackers-Johnson scored in the opening minutes.
An attacking platform inside Park territory was established when Long caught a high ball under pressure and neatly offloaded to wing Ackers-Johnson who carried possession into the 22; Simpson chipped the ball to the left wing where Talbot Dutton advanced the attack and from the resulting scrum, great handling from the backs moved play quickly across the field back to the right where Ackers-Johnson used his power and footwork to finish the move in the corner. (06” 5-0)
The wing continued his lively start chasing down a second effective kick from Simpson, seizing the bouncing ball from a hesitant Park defence inside the 22 and driving towards the line he offloaded to the supporting Parkinson. The fullback was held up inside the in-goal and Park were able to engineer an escape from the drop out, ultimately succeeding in moving play up field and scoring a well worked try of their own to take the lead (10” 5-7)
Untroubled by this set back, Eccles remained composed and played patient rugby building the pressure on Broughton Park. At 20 minutes, a line-out catch and drive maul for Eccles in the left corner compacted the visitors defence on the goal line. With accurate, swift passing the ball was shifted across the pitch to find centre Speakman, who intelligently drew his opposite number before passing out to Ackers-Johnson on the right wing who fended off his opponent to score a terrific try in the corner; Simpson adding the extras with a fine conversion. (21” 12-7)
A few minutes later the same players reversed their roles when Ackers-Johnson caught the ball and charged through the broken lines, drawing his man before passing outside to Speakman who used his speed and guile to score in the right corner; Conv Simpson. (25” 17-7).
Eccles momentum was momentarily slowed when a yellow card was shown to prop Reed at 28” but the resulting penalty inside the Park 22 gave Parkinson the opportunity to employ his speed and skills to score the try; Conv Simpson.(29” 24-7).
Broughton Park respond with a try (35” 24-12) but the Eccles reaction to this was instant. When a 10m scrum drive on the right was stopped inches short of a push-over, Long fired the ball infield to Stand off Simpson who attempted to guide a grubber kick through the lines which ricocheted off a defender's leg directly into the hands of the deadly finisher in front of the posts and there no doubt of the outcome. Try Ackers-Johnson, Converted Simpson. (39” 31-12)
Rounding off a perfect first half for the wing, more excellent passing across the pitch put second row Booth into space on the right charging towards the goal line he withstood a strong defensive challenge before offloading to Gav on his shoulder, who finished the move in style. (40” 36-12)
HT 36-12
Replacements were made at the interval (Evans for Aspinall and Lord for Speakman) and the second half began in much the same style as the first half had ended with Eccles using the front row power of Reed, Cox and Campbell to drive through the defensive lines before whipping the ball out to the coast where Ackers-Johnson skipped through the attempted tackles with wonderful footwork taking him into the in-goal where he scootered around to dot down behind the posts; Simpson converting the Try. (42” 43-12)
With the Eccles attack running riot, Broughton Park attempted to regroup. Their determined effort to reduce the deficit was assisted by a sequence of penalties which kept play inside the Eccles 22 for a prolonged period and a series of decisions by the match official resulted in Yellow Cards for Talbot Dutton and Evans at 50” and 52” whilst defending the goal line. This episode of play completely unsettled Eccles and Broughton Park took full advantage of their two extra men scoring two quick tries, both through the 12/13 channel, at 56” (43-19) and 58” (43-24).
Broughton Park now had momentum and Hurst (12) in particular gave a stand out performance at centre as he tested Eccles at every opportunity in an area of the pitch they were weak. Decisions were not going Eccles' way and all the fluidity, energy and confidence of the first half had gone. The visitors scored twice more through the centres in the last 10 minutes (71” 43-31) and (73” 43-38) to turn what had been a comfortable game for Eccles into a very close contest at the conclusion.
Eccles regrouped and following the restart play was kept inside the Broughton Park 22 for the remaining minutes. With Eccles attacking the left corner a deliberate knock on by a Park defender was punished with a yellow card. From the resulting scrum Eccles kept possession 5 metres from the goal line and when Long dispatched the ball to the mercurial Simpson he weaved through the defence to score behind the posts to the delight of his team mates and relief of the home support. Simpson converted his try and this was the last action of what was an exciting and entertaining match (80” 50-38).
Things unravelled somewhat for Eccles in the second half but their dominant first half performance, in the last home game of the season, secured the bonus point win necessary to keep their back to back promotion hopes alive. Eccles must now aim to achieve maximum points with victories away at Heaton Moor and Tarleton and wait to see what Widnes achieve with their last three fixtures.
FT 50-38
Eccles: Reed, Cox (c), Campbell, Manzanares, Booth, Spooner, Thornton, Cullen; Long, Simpson, Talbot Dutton, Speakman, Wilson, Ackers-Johnson, Parkinson. Replacements Aspinall, Evans, Lord.
Photos by Phil Saunders Hall.
