A first minute try (7-0) understandably boosted in-form Sefton’s confidence, such that when an easy penalty was awarded, they decided to kick for touch rather than take the points. Their enterprise was rewarded as the lineout was won, the ball moved wide, and a second try was scored in the same corner as the first. Another excellent conversion made it 14-0 with less than ten minutes played.

Manchester finally got some field position but a simple three points was unwisely rejected for a quick tap-and-go which lacked any support for it to be worthwhile, so that Sefton were easily able to clear their lines. As the game progressed, some frustration with decisions going against them actually seemed to galvanise Manchester into some action from their early lethargy, so that the contest became more even, although still mostly played out in the visitors’ half.

Sefton looked the more lively side however, and it wasn’t really a surprise when they grabbed their third try, once again converted (21-0), towards the end of the half. The teams turned around with the hosts very much in control of what had become a stop-start affair, ready for a second half not exactly eagerly awaited by the travelling support.

Straight out of the blocks however, Manchester were revitalised with a James Brodie break that literally had the Sefton defence reeling. The momentum was maintained with a quick tap penalty and the first points were registered in the first minute of the second half with a James Collinson try to make it 21-5.

All of a sudden it became much more of a contest with a far more aggressive looking Manchester side, playing their usual fast paced game. The game was still untidy with multiple turnovers by both sides, but Sefton were no longer having it all their own way. When the Manchester pack successfully battered the line on the hour mark, we clearly had a match on our hands at 21-10.

Another score and indisputably the try of the match duly arrived with a spectacular run by Luke Tyrrell from deep in his own half. This wasn’t a clear break however, as several hapless tacklers had to be evaded and it did look as if Tyrrell was about to run out of steam as he arrived in the opposition’s 22 still being pursued. Realising that he had also escaped his own support runners, it was sheer determination that got him over the last few metres to level the try count. At 21-15, Manchester were now dominating the game, and Sefton’s first half expectation of a bonus point was reduced to hanging on for the win.

The last five minutes saw panic in the home defence as Manchester played a running game that the hosts simply couldn’t cope with. It really did seem that a fourth try and an unlikely win was going to be snatched by a strong-finishing Manchester side but the clock was by now Sefton’s friend, and when an attacking scrum was carelessly lost, the game was finally up.

Manchester will rue their poor start which simply gave them too much to do to win, but should take heart from a second half performance which showed the team’s character as well as their natural ability.