Sat 1 Oct 2022, 15:00
Saturday's game got underway at a bright and very breezy St George’s Park, with Eccles looking to continue their good form, following wins over Wigan and De la Salle, with another victory on the road against Tyldesley, who had so far not made the best of starts in the league.
The strong wind certainly played its part during the first half with the hosts making the very most of the conditions blowing in their favour, kicking deep and accurately at every opportunity to keep Eccles pinned inside their territory. The opening 10 minutes was an even contest, with Eccles having the greater possession but unable to escape from their own half through a combination of determined Tyldesley tackling and their own unforced handling errors. As the Eccles backs attempted to break out of defence a pass was intercepted, resulting in a strolled-in try to Tyldesley between the sticks. The Eccles' disputes were waved away by the match official and the try stood, however the strong wind ensured the straightforward conversion kick missed its target. 5-0.
Tyldesley continued to apply pressure on Eccles high up the pitch and just 8 mins later, Eccles knocked on again inside their 22. Tyldesley were alert to the opportunity and attacked quickly across the pitch to the corner. The try attempt appeared to fail with the ball dropped and the Tyldesley player taken into touch. The Try was awarded dispite the Eccles defenders disputes. 10-0.
With 20 mins played and two scores behind, Eccles were yet to spend any time in the opposition 22 and set about correcting that with a more concerted effort following the restart. For the next 10 minutes Eccles had the ball but struggled to break through the Tyldesley lines, with progress mostly hampered by penalties at the breakdown. The strong wind allowed the hosts to release pressure by kicking deep to touch where they were effective, and slot home a penalty kick to further increase their advantage to 18-0. With the clock ticking down to half time, the Eccles pack worked hard to respond, setting a platform for an attack with an effective Maul drive. Captain Tom Coe broke from the base to release the backs and Eccles were at last attacking at pace inside the 22 with Byron Read making good yards before a penalty gave the opportunity to kick to the corner. Zak Brooker collected the ball cleanly in the air and the big Tyldesley pack were unable to do anything as they were driven backwards behind their goal line with Coey scoring the try from the back of the maul. The Eccles performance in the first half wasn’t the best, but they managed to rescue the situation as the game approached the break and ended the half attacking with the whistle arresting their building momentum. HT 13-5
In the second half, Eccles now had the wind behind them and with a mobile (youthful) pack were in a good position to take the game to a determined Tyldesley team. However, Eccles made a poor start by dropping and knocking the ball on from the restart, with the resulting scrum, then a penalty and a missed tackle on the wing concluding in a Tyldesley try in the corner with just a few minutes played; the conversion kick into the strong wind missed. 18-5.
Eccles looked to respond immediately and became frustrated when attempts to break and play quickly were impeded by the opposition. A midfield incident led to a Yellow card awarded to Tyldesley. Eccles were eager to take advantage and increased the attacking urgency and pressure on Tyldesley who dug in. Fullback Will Parkinson, supported by winger Gav Ackers Johnson, advanced the attack up the right flank into the 22. From the resulting line out, the Eccles forwards executed an effective catch and drive and the ball was moved swiftly across the park by Long and Wright (Wrong & Right?) for Will Parky to burst through and slide across the line on the left to claim the Eccles try and reduce the deficit with 59 minutes played. 18-10.
Following the restart, Eccles remained dominant and a high tackle from the hosts halted the attack on the edge of the 22. With no card issued, but pressure building and momentum with them, at this point Eccles simply needed to keep composed and keep possession inside the red zone. Something they were unable to do which proved to be a turning point as the game entered the last 10 minutes. As Eccles searched for a way through the Tyldesley defence, the ball was poached and breaking from the back down the right wing, Tyldesley scored at the other end, somewhat against the run of play. 25-10.
Eccles, frustrated, continued to apply sustained attacking pressure, with Tyldesley on the ropes and suffering penalties, but holding out 10m from their line. From another catch and drive left winger Tim Balogun was released and did well to evade the tackles before being hauled down inside the 22; Following quick ball through the back’s hands, Will Parky broke through a second time only for the ball be 'held up' to the left of the posts by more defiant defending. More penalties followed. With time running out and Tyldesley being walked back for indiscipline, the Eccles men returned to the proven line out catch and maul, with the props and the locks combining to good effect to drive Tyldesley backwards and Tom Coe to score his second try of the game in the corner in a simialr fashion to his first. 25-15.
An exciting end to the match was expected but sadly for Eccles the points were all at the wrong end. Keeping things simple and keeping hold of the ball had seen Eccles at thier best and yet with 5 minutes remaining, carelessness with possession in attack saw the ball turned over and booted up field in a kick and chase. Eccles resecured the ball in the resulting line out deep inside their 22 but spilled it again attempting to break out and Tyldesley scored in the corner. 30-15. The final minutes were Ill tempered with penalties disrupting the possibility of an Eccles attack. The hosts were walked back again inside their 22 and as the Eccles backs surged across to the left to score, another intercepted pass saw the Tyldesley centre catch and run the ball to the other end of the pitch to score under the sticks! 37-15. Converted. Last Play. A jubilant Tyldesley left the playing enclosure leaving Eccles to reflect on what they might have done differently. If Eccles had kept their composure and perhaps considered the windy conditions it might have been a 'game of two halves'. As it was, the 1s suffered a second defeat in the league, sliding from second to third place in the Counties 2 table. FT 37-15.
10’ 5-0 TYLDESLEY
18’ 10-0 TRY TYLDESLEY
33’ 13-0 PEN TYLDESLEY
35’ 13-5 TRY ECCLES (Tom Coe)
HT 13-5
50’ 18-5 TRY TYLDESLEY
55’ YELLOW CARD TYLDESLEY
59’ 18-10 TRY ECCLES (Will Parkinson)
70’ 25-10 TRY TYLDESLEY
71’ 25-15 TRY ECCLES (Tom Coe)
75’ 30-15 TRY TYLDESLEY
80’ 37-15 TRY TYLDESLEY
FT 37-15
