Sat 22 Mar 2025, 15:00
For the last home game of the season Eccles welcomed Northwich to Gorton Street. Very few fixtures have taken place between the clubs, the last 1XV contest at Eccles being a 10-31 defeat in October 2016. The reverse fixture at Northwich in January ended in a 27-13 defeat with Eccles loosing their grip on a 10-13 half time lead in a close contest, where a yellow card for Eccles contributed to a defensive collapse and three unanswered tries for the hosts in the last 20 minutes. A familiar scenario this season for Eccles, who are without a win since November.
The Eccles faithful gathered in the spring sunshine hoping to see a change in fortunes but sadly, many of the now familiar masochistic traits displayed since the Christmas break were all repeated in this performance. Eccles made their customary shaky start, defending their goal line in the opening minute. Having won the ball at a 5m scrum they rejected the opportunity to kick clear, in favour of toiling away inside their own territory through multiple phases before inevitably loosing possession at a ruck for holding on. The visitors kicked the penalty back into the 22 and from the driving maul scored.
5’ TRY NORTHWICH (Finnegan). CONV. 0-7
Eccles reacted to this set back by running the ball at every opportunity, putting the opposition under sustained pressure but failing to make a break through. When the ball finally reached Ackers-Johnson on the wing progress was made, leading to a promising 10m scrum for Eccles, from where the ball was fired out to the wing but knocked on. Eccles continued to enjoy the greater share of the attacking possession but became flat and predictable in their play and when Eaton’s short pass was intercepted the Northwich centre raced away 50 meters to score at the other end.
13’ TRY NORTHWICH (Watson). 0-12.
Eccles engineered a swift response from the restart, with persistence inside the Northwich 22 resulting in a scrum. The ball was shifted quickly by Jones out to the right wing, where Ackers-Johnson, sporting a streamlined trim, darted inside seeking out space and was stopped short of the line but a well timed pass from the ruck back out wide saw the number eight trot over in the corner unopposed to dot down.
22’ TRY ECCLES (Booth) CONV (Parkinson) 7-12.
Eccles needed to build on this score but made a poor restart with errors inside their 22 immediately presenting Northwich with an opportunity to score from a scrum, with an inside pass to the centre to score his second try of the game.
24’ TRY NORTHWICH (Watson). CONV 7-17.
To compound this Eccles made another poor restart, resulting in a scrum on the halfway line and further penalty for an early push. Northwich kicked the ball into the Eccles 22 and from the line out, some weak tackling from Eccles contributed to a successful charge to the line from Hooker Leijdekkers who combined with number 8 Nzougou to crash over close to the posts for the visitor’s fourth try and straightforward conversation.
27’ TRY NORTHWICH (Nzougou). CONV 7-24.
For the remainder of the half Eccles dominated possession, running the ball at pace, attacking into the Northwich 22 with purpose. Good determination and footwork from Read penetrated the defensive line on the right, and with Northwich scrambling, the direction of play was switched across the pitch to Will Parkinson on the left wing who finished with his first try since returning from a dislocated ankle injury suffered at Vale of Lune back in October. Conversion missed.
34’ TRY ECCLES (Parkinson) 12-24.
Eccles kept the tempo high at the restart, with Mercer and Read cutting through Northwich with strong lines of running leading to Ackers-Johnson showing skill, speed and footwork to beat his man on the right wing and score his 19th try of the campaign. Conversion missed.
36’ TRY ECCLES (Ackers-Johnson) 17-24.
Despite their poor start, Eccles were finding success when they got the ball wide and with the deficit reduced to 7-points the momentum was with them as the game reached the break.
HT 17-24
The game continued to be played at a chaotic pace and Eccles made a good start to the second half with the back row and second row making good contributions to the territory gained, until an intercepted pass lead to a Northwich break. From an attacking line out the visitors moved the ball wide and then back inside resulting in a score to seize control of the game.
50’ TRY NORTHWICH (Sili) CONV 17-31.
Five minutes later, with Eccles carrying the ball out of their 22, possession was once again lost and good passing from Northwich saw them score a well deserved try to further extend their lead.
55’ TRY NORTHWICH (Keller) CONV 17-38.
Far from disheartened, Eccles reacted to this set back by running the ball form deep, with Mercer and Read breaking out of defence and a strong carry from Ackers-Johnson took Eccles into the Northwich 22, with Read finishing off the attack with a fine try in the corner. Conversion missed.
59’ TRY ECCLES (Read) 22-38.
Having regained momentum and a route back into the game with 20 minutes left to play, Eccles then conspired to handicap themselves with a loss of discipline and two unnecessary yellow cards in quick succession.
62’ YELLOW ECCLES (Ayanlaja-Lowo)
70’ YELLOW ECCLES (Bates)
Despite this disadvantage, Eccles persisted in their attempts to play fast running rugby from deep with Murphy and Mercer at the centre of things but, aside from a well executed kick down the touch line by Jones into the Northwich 22 , Eccles were unable to establish any meaningful attacking platform. With 5 minutes remaining a quick tap penalty for Northwich was moved out wide for the Fullback to score with the extra points converted to wrap up the game.
75’ TRY NORTHWICH (Morudu) CONV 22-45.
FT 53-22
Eccles remain fixed to the bottom of the table and will complete the season away at Clay Lane when they visit league leaders Bowdon on 5th April.
Eccles Team: 1 Rhys Connor, 2 Ross Eaton # , 3 Jack Burdon , 4 Nick Spooner #, 5 Martin Coop #, 6 Damola Ayanlaja-Lowo #, 7 Wesley Chiriseri #, 8 Henry Booth. 9 Llew Jones, 10 Harry Murphy. 11 Will Parkinson #, 12 Tom Bates #, 13 Byron Read , 14 Gavin Akers-Johnson, 15 Marcus Mercer. Replacements 16 James Aitken, 17 Louis Evans, 18 Harry Candland #.
#Home Grown at Eccles
Photos by John Aston
