Sat 3 Sep 2022, 15:00
Lancashire & Cheshire Counties 2
Eccles got their 2022/23 League campaign underway on Saturday away at Orrell and began the game with good attacking intensity, a noticeable improvement on the slow start last week at Trafford MV. For the opening 15 minutes, Eccles maintained a high work rate high up the pitch and the game did not leave Orrell territory. However, eagerness to score resulted in Eccles forcing the final ball, twice gifting possession back to the hosts through forward passes on the flanks, when an opening try was on the cards. Despite the lack of composure, Eccles maintained their enthusiasm for attacking at pace and finally broke through to claim the opening try, playing quickly across the pitch to create an overload on the right wing with centre Ryan Evans deftly releasing Tim Balogun, who instinctively evaded the first tackle and bounced off the second tackle into the in-goal to score. (0-5). Eccles continued to apply sustained attacking pressure and with 30 minutes played a scrum was awarded inside the 22 and a lovely reverse pass from Longy set inside centre Jack Flanagan free, who steamed through to score under the sticks. Converted by James Wright. (0-12).
At the restart Eccles were placed under pressure for the first time in the game and with a loss of focus, Orrell took full advantage of some sloppy defending and converted their try to take the score to 7-12 just before the break. However, eager to respond to this set back, Eccles attack straight from the restart a penalty was won on the right, JW took the quick tap and zipped the ball left, where outside centre Ryan Evans showed great acceleration to burst through the defence to score. Converted. Whistle. Half time.
HT 7-19
Eccles began the second half fired up, playing with urgency and accuracy. The spectators hardly had time to finish their conversations when quick expansive passing from JW in the centre found Tim B out on the right wing, who backed himself on the outside to out pace the defenders and run it in under the posts for the 4th try bonus point. (7-26.) From the restart, Si Donovan caught the ball and handing off the advancing Orrell men offloaded to the backs to launch another rapid attack, this time up the middle of the pitch where the Eccles centre partnership was now operating intuitively, with Flanagan drawing his man before passing to Evans who fires in to the right of the posts for his second try. (7-31). Orrell were struggling to cope with the Eccles pressure and pace and within minutes Eccles had a 5th try from Rayden Brice (7-36) and a 6th try following a defence splitting break from Cammy Oates offloading to James Wright, who sped through the gap to dot down and convert his own try. (7-43).
With 20 minutes to play and comfortably ahead, Eccles seemed to loose focus and discipline it was now Orrell’s turn to score in quick succession with two tries to the left of posts in a matter of minutes, with easy conversations and Rayden Brice shown a Yellow Card for a ruck infringement whilst defending his goal line. (21-43). Despite the numerical disadvantage, Eccles responded and from a scrum just inside the Orrell 22, Oates took the ball on a rapier line to score in the corner; converted with an equally incisive kick from JW (21-50) with 12 minutes remaining. Orrell’s efforts to close the deficit were short lived as Eccles continued to take the game to the opposition half and two more tries in the final minutes from Cammy Higginbottom (28-57) and Tim Balogun (28-64) give Eccles a well deserved win. The Eccles men will not be happy with their defence leaking four tries, but there was plenty to celebrate and enjoy with the free-flowing attack.
FT 28-64
HIGHLIGHTS
16’ 0-5 TRY ECCLES (Balogun)
30’ 0-12 TRY ECCLES (Flanagan)
37’ 7-12 TRY ORRELL.
39’ 7-19 TRY ECCLES (Evans)
HT 7-19
42’ 7-26 TRY ECCLES (Balogun).
44’ 7-31 TRY ECCLES (Evans)
49’ 7-36 TRY ECCLES (Brice)
53’ 7-43 TRY ECCLES (Wright)
65’ 14-43 TRY ORRELL
67' 21-43 TRY ORRELL
68’ 21-50 TRY ECCLES (Oates)
70' 28-50 TRY ORRELL
72’ 28-57 TRY ECCLES (Higginbottom)
78’ 28-64 TRY ECCLES (Balogun)
FT 28-64
