Sat 31 Jan 2026
On a breezy afternoon at MacPherson Park, Pears returned to the starting line up to bolster the Eccles pack up front with Cresswell at blindside and Higginbottom and Eaton in reserve; in the midfield Candland took on the Fly-Half role with Dodd at centre. Eccles kicked off and showed their attacking intent from the whistle, tearing up the left wing with Parkinson unable to secure the ball to put points on the board in the opening minutes. Eccles maintained their pressure and the game remained inside TMV territory with Candland and Mercer combining to launch the next attack, breaking at speed to release Ackers-Johnson inside who blazed through to score but was unable to ground the ball on 6’. With two chances squandered Eccles’ careless handling was punished when lost possession in the middle allowed the hosts to take advantage of the strong wind to kick upfield into the Eccles 22 and from this line out TMV spread play across the pitch to put their winger into space to score the first points at the first attempt.
10’ TRY TMV (Parker) CONV (O’Shea) 7-0
Eccles replied, earning a penalty in midfield with Cullen successfully kicking to touch into the wind. The line out in the corner was caught by Coop but the ball subsequently spilled in the maul. However pressure applied by the Eccles pack on the TMV scrum produced an Eccles scrum and from here Candland fired the ball into the centre where Dodd crashed through at close range to score at the side of the posts and level the score.
16’ TRY ECCLES (Dodd) CONV (Parkinson) 7-7
Cox caught the ball at the restart and immediately put Eccles on the front foot charging through the middle. A marvellous midfield switch inside from Mercer to Ackers-Johnson, set up Oates and Dodd to drive in and a Mercer cut back put flanker Cresswell straight through to score a beautiful try; Parkinson adding the extras.
19’ TRY ECCLES (Cresswell) CONV (Parkinson) 7-14
Pears secured possession at the restart, offloading to the marauding Cox who once again charged through field, fuelled by Captain's coffee and three Weetabix, to take on the TMV fullback in an ambitious kick and chase to the goal line only to be denied a glorious try by what appeared to be obstructive defending. The drop out was collected by Eccles with more good work from Candland, Mercer and Ackers-Johnson building the pressure on TMV whose tenacious defence and persistent offside prevented a breakthrough; the frustration only increasing for Eccles when Longford was shown a perplexing card on the halfway line.
26’ YELLOW ECCLES (Longford)
Trafford took the opportunity to get themselves back into the game, kicking to the corner for a line out and following sustained pressure on the Eccles goal line defence TMV number 10, Aaron Booth darted through the 13 channel to score.
29’ TRY TMV (Booth) 12-14
14-man Eccles continued to take the game to Trafford and succeeded in pinning the hosts inside their 22, with Burdon and Cunningham dominant in the scrum, and sharpness from Dodd and Ackers-Johnson maintaining the attacking threat. A score was imminent and a breakthrough was engineered through good passing across the field with the elusive Eccles winger sweeping around the defence on the right to dot down a fine try.
36’ TRY ECCLES (Ackers-Johnson) CONV (Parkinson) 12-21
Longford returned to the field and good tackling from Parkinson out wide and expert jackling from Spooner in the middle ensured Eccles were in the driving seat at the interval.
HT 12-21
Eccles started the second half with more ruthlessness than they had began the first half, with a strong, direct carry from Spooner and slick passing between Candland and Mercer setting the tone for the opening phases. With the wind now in their favour Eccles kicked behind the defensive and the rapid chase and jackal from Ackers-Johnson set the platform for another strong Eccles 15m scrum, driving the TMV pack backwards, with number 8 Longford controlling the ball at the base to touch down; converted.
45’ TRY ECCLES (Longford) CONV (Parkinson) 12-28
Replacements (Long for Cullen, Higginbottom for Cunningham) were introduced and Eccles maintained their ascendancy with pistons up the middle and good handling setting up Parkinson to break up the left flank at pace, with Mercer supporting inside but ignored, as the winger fended off a challenge to charge in at the corner and scooter around to dot down behind the uprights; converting his score.
47’ TRY ECCLES (Parkinson) CONV (Parkinson) 12-35
Trafford stuck to the task with stand off Booth kicking through the line to disrupt the Eccles defence, which remained intact with some strong ball carrying from Dodd and Cox keeping play in the middle until a line out for TMV, thrown to the back, opened up the field. A break from the number 8 on the left put winger into space and he swept around to score behind the sticks.
51’ TRY TMV (Livings) CONV (O’Shea) 19-35
Eaton replaced Cresswell in the back row and for the next 30 minutes Eccles adopted a cavalier approach as the game became end to end rugby, with Ackers-Johnson showing his pace and attacking prowess on the right wing, breaking from a line out move and skipping through the tackles to score in the corner; converted.
59’ TRY ECCLES (Ackers-Johnson) CONV (Parkinson) 19-42
However, some poor handling from Eccles allowed Trafford MV to respond from a scrum inside the 22, with number 10 Booth slotting through the second row to score to the side of posts.
62’ TRY TMV (Kingdon) CONV (O’Shea) 26-42
Once again Eccles responded, with Coop securing the line out ball and a driving maul gathering momentum up the middle, with the attack advanced by Dodd and Cox breaking through the line. Candland carried possession to 15m , where interference at the ruck prevented Long from recycling quickly, giving TMV the opportunity to escape through a scrum. Undeterred, Eccles dominated the contest in the middle to mount another attack and once the ball was moved out wide to the right, there was little doubt of the outcome as the winger out manoeuvred the defence for a great try.
69’ TRY ECCLES (Ackers-Johnson) CONV (Parkinson) 26-49
Straight from the restart Eccles deployed the same strategy with big carries from the forwards up the middle but this time with the ball fired out to the left where the evasive Ackers-Johnson burst through with the ball, weaving through the backfield, to touch down at the side of the posts; converted by Parkinson who had chased in close support.
71’ TRY ECCLES (Ackers-Johnson) CONV (Parkinson) 26-54
From the restart Eccles once again demonstrated their defensive vulnerability with TMV fighting back with good work from the number 7 to reduce the deficit.
74’ TRY TMV (Craven) CONV (O’Shea) 33-54
The entertaining end to end contest continued with an immediate response from Eccles, driving through the middle with pistons and good work from Oates on the right, offloading to the winger for the Eccles ace to juggle the ball then finish in the corner; his fifth try of the afternoon. Conversion missed.
77’ TRY ECCLES (Ackers-Johnson) 33-59
Somewhat inevitably, the scoring was not complete and from the restart TMV responded through number 10 Booth who kicked through the Eccles line and nipped through to pick up and touch down by the posts; converted as the last play of the game.
80’ TRY TMV (Booth) CONV (O’Shea) 40-59
FT 40-59
Trafford MV deserve credit for their determined spirit, fighting all the way to the end. Eccles will be pleased with their attacking play, nine tries, forward domination and improved discipline (4 penalties against in the first half, 3 penalties against in the second half) but will be less than satisfied with their defensive fragility, once again surrendering posession and points in the last 20 minutes; something they will want to address for the next game, when third placed Didsbury Toc H visit Eccles, on Saturday 14 February.
Eccles team: Cuningham, Cox (C), Burdon, Higginbottom, Pears, Coop, Spooner, Longford. Cullen, Candland. Ackers-Johnson, Mercer, Dodd, Parkinson, Oates. Repacements: Eaton, White, Long.
