Sat 14 Dec 2024, 14:15
The previous encounter between the teams back in sunny September began with Crewe & Nantwich racing to an 28-0 lead in the opening half an hour before a fight back from Eccles and a number second half decisions in favour of hosts culminated in a contentious 36-22 defeat for Eccles. The weather conditions for this reversed fixture were very different but sadly the game and its outcome were Déjà vu.
Eccles received the ball at kick off and charged up field but the promising attack lost momentum and when possession was lost C&N swiftly moved play back into Eccles territory through accurate kicking up feild, a successful tactic for the visitors who continued to use the wind to good effect during the first half to keep Eccles shackled inside their own 22, where their handling was not up to the task of playing out from the back. The ball was consequently lost and C&N moved play across the pitch to take advantage of their numbers wide on the right for their #14 to score in the corner.
7’ 0-5 C&N TRY.
Eccles' poor handling continued following the restart with knock on in midfield. C&N broke from the base of the resulting scum and kicked ahead. Eccles once again attempted to run the ball out but possession was lost inside the 22 at a breakdown and C&N were awarded the opportunity to extend their lead which was successfully kicked by the #15.
12’ 0-8 C&N PENALTY.
The C&N back line did not have to wait long before they were able to take further advantage of Eccles' predictable play with a quick break up the left flank. Once again winger Ackers-Johnson found himself in a deep position facing an overload of numbers and a pass that gave half the crowd cause for complaint put the Crewe #15 in to score in the corner.
17’ 0-13. C&N TRY.
This calamitous start for Eccles continued following the restart, when C&N booted the ball deep towards the right corner. Fullback Mercer failed to deal with the loose ball a metre from the goal line and the chasing C&N #13 gleefully picked up the gift and dotted down to score.
20’ 0-20 C&N TRY. CONV.
Eccles toiled to get into the game and 10 minutes of persistence eventually earned them a line out inside the C&N 22. The ball was caught cleanly by Spooner who offloaded off the top to blindside Ayanlaja-lowo who crashed through the defence to score, picking up an injury in the process and was replaced by Matt Houghton.
32’ 7-20 ECCLES TRY (Ayanlaja-Lowo) CONV (Holland).
The visitors responded straight from the restart, earning a penalty inside the Eccles half which the #15 slotted between the uprights to increase the visitor's lead.
34’ 7-23 Penalty C&N.
Having raced into an early lead these were the last points for C&N in the game. Following the restart, expansive passing across the pitch from Eccles opened up the C&N defence on 36', with openside Salacha breaking through on the left to score but was judged not to have grounded the ball and a goal line drop-out was awarded to C&N. Eccles continued to concentrate their attack in the left corner and a break through looked to be imminent on 39' with Cox and the Eccles pack driving towards the goal line. C&N intercepted a pass but knocked on and the match official brought play to a conclusion for the interval.
HT 7-23
Although Eccles' handling continued to let them down, with the ball rarely making it as far as the wing, their persistence and belief in a passing game was maintained throughout the next 40 minutes, and it was this conviction and determination that allowed them to dominate possession and territory to keep play inside the C&N half for almost the entire duration of the second half.
At 50’ Eccles raised the tempo with replacements from the bench, Aitken for Burdon, Ayanlaja-Lowo for Booth, Bates for Fortune. The visitor's kicking ability to release the pressure dwindled and the tension on the feild increased with play heading in one direction. At 60’ a combination of speed and accuracy finally released Eccles and a terrific charge through the middle from 18-year old back row Houghton, using footwork and power, resulted in try scored between the posts; giving Holland a straightforward conversion to reduce the deficit.
60’ 14-23 TRY ECCLES (Houghton) CONV (Holland).
With 20 minutes to play, Eccles in the ascendancy and pressure building on C&N, foul play off the ball increased as the visitors attempted to disrupt the game and hold on to their diminishing lead. Emotions were running high as Eccles were twice penalised by the referee for dissent following perceived injustices whilst attacking into the C&N 22. Following his involvement in a number of events the C&N #8 was eventually shown a yellow card on 72’ for entering a ruck with no arms. Three minutes later, with Eccles pushing to score in front of the C&N posts, yellow cards were shown to the C&N #12 and the Eccles Captain #2, Cox, who was punched whilst he was on the floor. In the final minutes of the game with Eccles attacking just outside the C&N 22, Read was clobbered by the C&N #7 and as play continued, Ayanlaja-Lowo stepped in to administer his own form of retaliatory justice, leading to an escalation off the ball with several C&N players running in to join the melee. Once the players were pulled apart Ayanlaja-Lowo was shown a Red Card for his actions. No cards were shown to C&N who were awarded a penalty and kicked the ball out. The referee decided he had seen enough and signalled an early end to the match. A frustrated, heated conclusion to a game that won't be remembered for its rugby.
FT 14-23
A break in fixtures means the next game for the 1XV will be Saturday 4th January 2025 vs Waterloo at Gorton Street, followed by a run of three Away games (Widnes 11th Jan, Winnington Park 18th Jan, Northwich 25th Jan) that could well determine the outcome of a challenging season at level 6.
Eccles team: Simpson, Cox (C), Burdon, Spooner, Hulbert, Ayanlaja-Lowo, Salacha, Booth; Jones, Holland; Akers-Johnson, Candland, Read, Fortune, Mercer. Replacements Aitken, Houghton, Bates.
