22 - 22

04/02/2012 (League)

In extreme conditions, the 3G pitch was used in the North West Counties Division 4 clash between the league leaders Woolston and second place Leigh East.

It was Woolston who dominated the first half due to many unforced errors and penalties allowing the visiting side to control the match and build pressure on the East defence. The score line reflected the penalty and error count, with Woolston going into the second half with a 16-0 lead. East were unlucky with a few chances in the first half, but either couldn't find the finishing pass or were held up over the line.

The second half was a different contest. East buckled down and gave away much fewer penalties and began to dominate possession, managing to bring the scores back to 10-16 within the first 10 minutes of the restart with tries from Dannny Richardson and Chris Penkywicz. Through a well placed kick, Woolston managed to extend their lead to 22-10, but East were far from finished in the contest. Another try from the big prop Penkywicz and a try from Adam Holland darting over from 20 yards exploiting the gaps in the tiring Woolston defence meant that a nail-biting finish was on the cards.

Camped on the Woolston line in-front of the posts on Third tackle, East decided to move the ball to the left wing rather than opting for the one-pointer straight away. The ball was lost and neither team really got back into a position where clinching victory was possible. The game finished 22-22, and means that Woolston maintain their three point advantage at the top of the table.

For the photos from todays game, visit here.