Sat 29 Nov 2025, 14:15
Sustained Eccles endeavour delivers six-try triumph over Tarleton to edge ahead at the top.
On a gloomy December afternoon, Eccles welcomed Tarleton back to Gorton Street, where the last encounter between the clubs, on a glorious sunny afternoon in September 2023 delivered 11 tries in a 59-29 win for the home team. Eccles ran out onto the soft, soaked surface looking to build on the 25-36 victory at New Brighton last week, with Tarleton lining up on the back of a win at Aspull to move them up the table to 5th.
The opening quarter of an hour was attritional with Eccles enjoying the greater possession but unable to break down the determined Tarleton defence. Some sloppy handling and slippy conditions contributed to fixing the physical contest in the middle of pitch, with Simpson departing with a knee injury after 7 minutes of play, when a team mate fell on him at a ruck. An exchange of penalties did little to progress the deadlock and the game was contained until a searching Tarleton deep kick gave Parkinson and Mercer the opportunity to run the ball through the middle, breaking through the field to set a platform for pistons, which put Eccles on the front foot inside the visitor’s territory. With 20 minutes played and Eccles attacking, an off the ball fracas between the forwards erupted and, unable to identify the perpetrator, the match official spoke with both captains regarding the standards of rugby he was looking for. Three minutes later, with Eccles attacking off the back of a scrum into the Tarleton 22, a clash of heads occurred in a ruck clear-out and the referee determined the action of the Eccles #8 to be dangerous.
23’ 0-0 RED CARD ECCLES (Longford).
Eccles were now two forwards down and, facing a tough day in the office, had to dig deep to find the necessary resolve to take control of the game. A high tackle on the captain provided the first opportunity for Eccles, with the ball kicked to the corner for a line out. Possession was shifted swiftly across the field and spilled with Tarleton exiting through the boot. Another Penalty brought Eccles back into the visitor’s 22 for another line out and although possession was turned over the momentum was with the 14 men of Eccles who were moving the ball well and building sustained pressure with Mercer’s running asking questions of the opposition. With the game now opening up, a deep kick from Tarleton was swept up by Matt Parkinson and the ball quickly slipped away to Fortune who was unfortunate not to release Ackers-Johnson on the wing with his pass. A perfectly timed jackal from the stand off minutes later got Eccles driving forward once again, through patient pistons and Higginbottom, seemingly involved in everything, everywhere, carried the attack into the 22 where Ackers-Johnson was tackled and denied out wide. An Eccles breakthrough was coming and when a Tarelton attempt to kick clear was charged down, Mercer did not hesitate to gather the loose ball and charge in to touch down between the posts.
35’ 7-0 ECCLES TRY (Mercer) CONV (W Parkinson)
At the restart Spooner pouched the ball and pistons up the middle of the pitch plus some neat footwork from Parkinson resulted in a penalty for Eccles, kicked by Long to the corner. Cox mishandled the ball at the lineout but Eccles were in the ascendancy and soon back in control, through simple, composed play, driving hard into the centre and then out to the corner, where Scott Pears crashed through at close range to score; a great strike from the wing from Will Parkinson adding the extras just before the break.
40’ 14-0 ECCLES TRY (Pears) CONV (W Parkinson).
HT 14-0
At the interval Eccles introduced replacements - Cullen for Long at Scrum-Half, Connor for Cunningham in the Front Row - and the fresh legs made an immediate impact. With a quick pace established Eccles were awarded a penalty within a minute of play, kicked into the Tarleton 22 for a line out. With the ball secured by Spooner, a driving maul carried the attack before Cullen dispatched play infield for Fortune to send Candland through on a reverse line; from the next phase a strong, direct carry from Spooner gained the necessary momentum and a deft offload in the tackle released Rhys Connor in close support who charged through to the line to score; converted by another accurate kick.
43’ 21-0 ECCLES TRY (Connor) CONV (Parkinson).
At the restart Spooner was assured under the high ball, letting loose Mercer and Candland to return play back into Tarleton territory. Connor, running off the shoulder of Fortune was unlucky to knock-on when breaking into the Tarleton 22, but the scrum only provided a brief respite for the visitors with Spooner charging down the clearance kick and the defender scrambling to dead the ball. At the 5-meter Eccles attacking scrum, Fortune, deputising at number-8, controlled the ball with his feet before Candland, Coop and then Pears drilled the ball in succession towards the posts, setting up Higgingbottom to charge through, spin off his tacklers and crash over the line to score.
48’ 28-0 ECCLES TRY (Higginbottom) CONV (Parkinson).
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Eccles were succeeding through sustained possession with good game management keeping them from being stretched in defence. Tarleton set about addressing this with a determined effort at the restart to contain play deep inside Eccles territory, with their efforts eventually earning a 5m scrum. Eccles defended their line resolutely under persistent pressure until Tarleton crossed over in the corner; the conversion from out wide skimming over the cross bar.
55’ 28-7 TARLETON TRY. CONV
Eccles responded, with Ackers-Johnson catching a deep kick and taking the game to Tarleton, speeding upfield and chipping the ball over the backline, where the fullback gathered possession but Cox showing excellent Jackal technique to win the penalty in midfield, slotted home by Parkinson.
60’ 31-7 ECCLES PENALTY (Parkinson).
For the final quarter of the game Eccles work rate increased and far from tiring they appeared to shift up a gear. Their industry and endeavour as a team served them well as Tarleton strained to keep the game inside the Eccles half. Mercer’s enthusiastic communications and Ackers-Johnson’s pounce to recover possession of a loose ball in front of the goal-line were notable highlights from a period of sustained, dogged defence. Less distinguished was the departure of blindside Coop for persistent off-side, reducing Eccles to 13 men for the last 10 minutes.
70’ ECCLES YELLOW (Coop).
From the resulting penalty, Tarleton moved the ball out to the wing where possession was lost. The scrum inside their own 22 gave Eccles the platform to launch a counter attack with Mercer making a terrific break with the ball from deep, offloading to Ackers-Johnson out wide, who hit the gas and powered away through the tackles to score behind the posts.
72’ 38-7 ECCLES TRY (Ackers-Johnson) CONV (Parkinson).
For the remaining minutes of the match Tarleton made a concerted effort to pin the hosts inside their 22 with a prolonged attack, but Eccles soaked it up and when the ball was intercepted by Ackers-Johnson with fuel in the tank and 80 meters of Gorton Street turf in front of him the outcome was inevitable.
79’ 45-7 ECCLES TRY (Ackers-Johnson) CONV (Parkinson).
Six converted tries in 45 minutes may have looked an unlikely net result for Eccles when Longford was dismissed early in the game but industry and composure delivered an impressive performance and a well deserved bonus point win to edge them ahead at the top of Counties 1. Next Saturday 6 December Eccles travel to Wilmslow.
FT 45-7
Eccles team: Sam Simpson #, Fin Cox (C) #, Jack Burdon, Cameron Higginbottom, Scott Pears #, Martin Coop #, Nick Spooner #, Connor Longford. Sam Long, Chris Fortune (VC). Gavin Akers-Johnson, Harry Candland #, Marcus Mercer, Matt Parkinson #, Will Parkinson #. Replacements James Cunningham #, Rhys Connor, Tim Cullen #.
