Round-up of every try, tackle and scrum – all the action from teams across Wirral

Jan 28 2009 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

Round-up of every try, tackle and scrum – all the action from teams across Wirral

BIRKENHEAD Park’s hope of re-launching a major promotion challenge, following some five weeks of inactivity due to the weather, were dashed during their defeat last Saturday.

Close rivals Morley, who arrived clearly determined to avenge their narrow defeat way back in September, managed to overcome the Wirral side 0-15.

Park had to manage without a couple of valuable players in Matt Ibbotson and Ashley Ollivers, and also lost the services of influential fly-half Tony Handley, who was taken off as a casualty at the interval. Winger Matt Thompson was called on to take his place, but though he performed the basics quite well, he lacked the vital creativity that Handley is capable of producing.

Both sides did their best to take control despite both of them suffering from a surprisingly large number of handling errors.

In the 20th minute, the very quick exploitation of a free-kick at half-back enable Michael Ash to dive over in the left corner for the game’s opening try, and after that the visitors never looked back.

They managed a second score a couple of minutes before the interval with a penalty, following an incident that saw Park’s Jamie Johnston yellow carded, and from then on always remained in control.

The spectacular climax actually arrived when the visitors’ creative and impressively powerful skipper Craig Field, smashed his way through for a try by the posts two minutes from the end. Park’s home defeat is going to make it very hard for them to launch a serious promotion challenge, though they did not play badly at all.

They did not have the power needed forward to take the initiative on this occasion, and their backs also found it hard to clinch half chances despite lots of effort.

New Brighton had to dig deep for their North Two West League 8-10 victory at Blackburn, which lifted them to fourth position in the table.

Brighton had the elements in their favour in the opening period. Skipper Kati Tuipulotu crashed over for a try following a line-out on the half hour mark. Stephen Dean converted.

Blackburn hit back with a third quarter penalty by Rob Bleasdale. Then his try at the start of the final quarter cut the advantage to just two points.

It became something of a backs to the wall task for Brighton, but they hung on defiantly. Ikuna Manuofetoa and Ryan McKibbin were excellent in the back-row and Alan Hesketh was prominent at scrum-half.

The win puts the Blues in good heart for the visit of leaders Altrincham Kersal to Hartsfield this Saturday.

Elsewhere, it was better for Wirral and Hoylake who both enjoyed sound successes in South Lancashire/ Cheshire One.

Wirral finished 29-8 to the good against Dukinfield, with Alistair Baker crossing the line twice and Alistair Child, Rob Pearl and Mike Bennett once each. Dan Harvey converted twice.

Hoylake, after giving Vagabonds a 12-0 early lead, hit back for a 47-17 triumph thanks to two tries each from Matt O’Hanlon, Chris Whiteley and Richard Yung. Dan Baldock also went in and Steve Young landed six conversions.

Wallasey sent Trentham packing 25-3. Ben Cooke, Tom O’Donnell, Keith Mahon and Dave Maddocks went in and Martin Sutton was on target with a penalty and a conversion.

Oldershaw took the Division Three derby at Prenton 34-0. Matty Blackmore, Mark Wilson, Steve Wilson, Mark Sopp and Ian Jones all touched down and Mark Hallam managed three goals and one penalty. Port Sunlight fell 42-6 at Linley in Division Four but Parkonians ground out a 3-3 draw against Ramsey in the Isle of Man with Terry Williams managing a penalty.