Every tackle and try from rugby clubs across Wirral

Dec 10 2008 by James Maloney, Birkenhead News

HOYLAKE snatched a 15-18 victory despite their preparations for the tough away fixture at Sale being far from ideal on Saturday.

The Wirral side had to endure the late withdrawal of their skipper Andy Fielding due to illness, while a mix up at the laundry left them with just 12 shirts prior to kick off.

Sale were soon ahead after their dangerous backs took advantage of an overlap to score out wide, but Hoylake worked their way up field, with Stephen Young kicking a simple penalty.

Then a nasty injury to a Sale second row meant that the game had to be held up while an ambulance was called. Eventually, the game restarted and Hoylake began to use their big forwards, Collister, O’Neill and Griffiths, to occupy the Sale defence.

Scrum half Dominic Kearney dummied from the base of a ruck to create just enough space for him to score a typical try from 15 metres.

At 8-5, Hoylake were soon pegged back by a penalty from Sale, before Hoylake’s flyhalf, Stephen Young, dropped a goal from close range to put the visitors back in the lead.

A lapse in concentration saw Sale’s No.8 break through before off-loading to the replacement scrum half, who scored under the posts. With the conversion to follow, Hoylake had just 15 minutes to overturn a 15-11 deficit.

Sale’s defender then inexplicably missed the ball and it bounced into the grateful arms of Young, who rounded the fullback to score under the posts.

He converted his own try to give Hoylake an 18-15 lead with five minutes remaining.

Sale threw everything at Hoylake for the last remaining minutes and had it not been for an outstanding last gasp tackle by full-back Mike Kearney, they would surely have scored in the left hand corner. Hoylake now move into sixth place in the league. Next week, Hoylake entertain Widnes at Melrose Avenue in the fourth round of The EDF Senior Vase.

Birkenhead Park may have been a little below full strength for this North One encounter, but they fought hard to try and keep themselves in the promotion race despite losing 15-28 against Westoe.

Fly-half Sam Rasch, a lively Fijian, also gave them an advantage with his accurate place kicking, landing two penalties and the conversion of lock John Younghusband’s try to put the visitors 13-0 in front at half-time. Park’s winger Steve Dodd had grabbed an excellent try, and though that was not converted, full-back Dave Hall landed a penalty to give the home team renewed hope. Unfortunately for them, Moala then scored his outstanding individual try, followed soon after by another from centre David Haswell. Park managed to raise their game slightly and launched a fierce late attack to drive the whole pack over for a last-minute try converted by Hall.

Wallasey fell 33-14 at Ruskin Park in South Lancashire/Cheshire Two, where Matt Climo added the goals following tries by Craig Wilson and Keith Mahon. New Brighton enjoyed a 24-8 win over Sandbach in the North Two West. They were nearly always in the driving seat at Hartsfield, despite a worrying penalty count of 23-7 against them. The Blues enjoyed 70 per cent of the possession. Alan Hesketh proved a live-wire scrum-half and Paul Campbell dominated in the line-outs.

There was also a captain’s performance in the back-row from Kati Tuipulotu, who added to his try count.

The Blues hope this result will signal the start of a surge up the table as coach Steve Dorrington hailed the result as “encouraging”.