Revenge is Sweet!

Sat 6th Mar 2010, 03:00 PM
20 Garstang - Old Bedians 0

Garstang recorded a crucial victory on a momentous weekend for the Rugby Club. After losing to Old Bedians the previous week the team had a lot to prove and started the game aggressively.


Right from the off Garstang took the game to the hosts, causing frequent mistakes from a home side who initially expected a repeat performance of last week. Garstang should have scored early from an Ainsley kick through, he looked certain score as the ball bounced in front of him but his beautiful dive over the try line missed just one thing, the ball and the score remained 0-0.


Garstang were controlling the first half and building real pressure in the set pieces. The homes sides scrum was under real pressure with proud new father Nick Smith making his opposite number cry like a new born. These turnovers gave Garstang good ball and were breaking the gain line regularly with Andy Emmott at inside Centre. The Old Bedians kicking game which had been a strong point last week was also nullified by the excellent play of the back three catching well and attacking menacingly.


The home side was given a boost when Miller was sin binned for 10 minutes for weak punch . Whilst he was doing press ups under the posts the forwards were asked big questions which they answered by maintaining the pressure at the set piece. After 10 minutes Garstang were back to their full compliment and upped their game. Old Bedians were being outplayed at the ruck and this lead to a number of penalties, one of which John Robby kicked to give Garstang a slim 0-3 lead at half time.


Knowing the game was far from won Garstang started the second stanza strongly and the tiring home side were leaving more gaps in defence. This effort was rewarding when Slats attacking from just inside Garstang’s half broke through the defence and charged towards the try line planting down with defenders clawing at him, Robby converted for a 0-10 score line. This triggered a purple patch for Garstang as moments later the Garstang backs came to the party and after a great training ground move Ainsley kicked over the defence and this time remembering the ball scored a deserved try (0-15).


Garstang were nearly in again after Max had caught a bobbling ball on Garstang’s 22 evaded a tackler and streaked for line, with Rob Bell on his shoulder and the full back committed the pass went to ground instead of hands and the chance missed. The visitors were not to be held out for long and when the ball was back in Garstang’s hands and Richard Orr scored a typical barn storming try to make it 0-20.


A stunning 20 minutes and nearly killed the game off but Old Bedians did not give up and came straight back and in the last 10 minutes Garstang’s defence was tested but after a string of penalties and attacks the home side could not cross and the score finished 0-20.


The game was a massive improvement and should be the benchmark for the rest of the season rather than a one off. The First XV victory capped a great weekend for the Club with the first time all three of the sides had won on the same weekend in its nearly 15yr history.


Team: D.Miller, N.Smith, K.Yates (G. Raybee), R.Orr, B. Kelsall, G.Slater, J.Richardson, P.Brown,  J.Robinson(Capt), R.Bell, A.Emmott, M.Everest, A.Nixson, A.Pye, B.Coreless, H.Jones


The Old Bedians match report is as follows:


"Bedians slumped to a disappointing defeat after a VERY disappointing performance against a Garstang team they had beaten convincingly a week earlier. Straight from the off the away side dominated the scrummage and, like Bedians found out to their cost earlier in the season, when you struggle in this department it makes life difficult across the park. In their defence Bedians fielded only one of the front row, Pete Wall, that started and performed so well seven days earlier and he succumbed to a neck injury after 15 minutes, replaced by the very reluctant prop Stu Crabb. The 1st half was a tight affair, Garstang's dominance of the scrums was countered by Bedians' dangerous (but far from at their best) backline. A 3-0 half-time defecit meant that Bedes were still in the game but they would have to improve.


A horrific looking facial injury (caused purely accidentally by a full-blooded fly hack from the away side's fly half) meant the departure of pack leader Jack O'Shea, further harming Bedians forwards. Early in the second half Garstang scored three quick tries that finished the game as a contest. In brief, the first was a well worked try out wide, the second may as well go down as an 'Own Try' as it was the result of two breast-high flaps at the Garstang back-row player as he ran the ball into (and through) the home defence and the third was the result of a lucky bounce after a chip over, the kind of bounce that goes against you when the chips are down. At 0-20 the game was over but Bedians did then play their best rugby of the game, putting pressure on the away side for the final 20 minutes. Unfortunately, even after a few very close calls, Bedians didn't manage to score. Worse new was the injury to the influential Mike Gallagher with a broken thumb, another addition to the long injury list ahead of next week's difficult trip to high-flying Trafford MV.


Garstang fully desrerved their victory and Bedians should be upset with their performance, hopefully we can come back with a bang and win the three matches it looks like we need to stay in the league."