Ashton U Lyne 12 – 42 Manchester

The icy grip of frozen pitches that had wiped out virtually all the previous round of cup matches relented and Manchester u13’s set out on the trip east to play Ashton Under Lyne. The mood was optimistic as the Reds were looking to secure their place in the top 2 qualifying positions for the later knockout stages of the Lancs Cup.
As per competition rules the game was played in 2 x 25 minute halves. Manchester travelled with a full squad of 22 but as Ashton were missing some lads we agreed to play a 12 a side game.
On a bright and crisp morning Ashton kicked off and Manchester worked the ball back into the Ashton 22, with a combination of probing runs and good handling. After a few minutes of solid rucking and good recycling, the ball was received by Joe C 5 metres from the line and there was no stopping him as he drove over for his first club try and Manchester’s first of the match. This was quickly followed by a strong run down the wing by Tom W who passed for Ciaran to crash over in the corner and make it 10-0 to the visitors. However any thoughts of a route were dispelled as Ashton came back and mounted some good pressure in the Manchester 22, Some good defensive work and tackling by Manchester saw the ball won back and handed to Tom W who set off on a trademark run nearly the length of the pitch but he was held up just short of the line. Again, excellent support play by Ciaran to pick up the ball and touch down near the posts. Tom J slotted the conversion to make it a comfortable 17-0 to Manchester.
As the half went on Manchester were dominating and following a scrum Ciaran broke free from the pack and powered through some tackles to touch down for his third of the match making it 22-0. Perhaps it was the scoreline or the festive mood but a degree of individualism started to creep into the Manchester play rather than focussing on team effort; however a highlight of what we can achieve was when the ball was moved well across the forwards and once again Joe C found himself with the ball in his hands near the Ashton line. Instead of going for glory he chose to take the hit from the last defender and passed the ball out of contact to Will C who accepted the Xmas gift and went over in the corner to make it 27-0, a great team worked try. Just before half time another good Manchester drive was well finished by Matt B who jinked his way through the Ashton defence for his first try in this seasons cup to make it a resounding 32-0 scoreline.
The second half looked like to would follow the same pattern as soon after the restart Tom W swerved and sidestepped his way through the Ashton team to touch down under the sticks and make it 37-0. However full credit must go to the home side who showed great spirit in coming right back at Manchester with a combination of determination, strong running and some missed tackles which saw them rack up 12 unanswered points and the game was back on.
As the clock ticked down it was fitting that Manchester registered a good move and the last try of the match as Tom J drew the Ashton defence in before passing wide to Sean who broke through some tackles to sprint down the wing and return the ball under the posts to restore Manchester’s 30 point lead. Final score Ashton U Lyne 12 – Manchester 42

Epilogue
The weather was kind to us and a big thanks to Ashton for ensuring the game went ahead. All 22 lads got a run out, vital cup experience was gained in a match that was well refereed and played in good spirit.
In the end it was a convincing win to round off a good 2012 for Manchester. Joe C picked up the man of the match award not only for making and scoring a try but his overall effort and commitment to the team cause.

Downside was that we made it difficult for ourselves and we will get punished for missing those tackles and forgetting there are 15 players on our side. Upside it's 5 more points accrued and our position in the top two qualifying places strengthened, not a bad Sunday mornings work.

Finally, have a great Christmas, though maybe ease up on the mince pies as our next game is the big one versus fellow unbeaten side West Park St Helens on January 6th.