Sun shines on Manchester

Was Sunday the start of spring??, we hope so and in that hopeful vein we set off to the sunny climes of Bowdon, for the smart amongst us it was easy to find, for the slower (BowdEn) doesn’t work in Google Map.
On arrival the ground was a little frosty under foot, but the boys warmed up with their usual exuberance. After an hour or so we began the fixture, we put out our strongest (and only!) 9, I have to say I thought we were going to get ‘ 'tatered’, the decision between coaches to play 15 min sessions was agreed.
The battle commenced and at sometimes, across all three sessions, it truly was a battle with the odd occasion where a couple of the lads nearly squared up to each other as a result of the physical nature of the fixture.
We played hard in the first session but were on the back foot for most of the game but especially strong in our last line of defence. This worked for so long until we committed too many to the break down, leaving Bowdon with an overlap and the opportunity to put a try past us. Valiantly the boys tried to make a comeback and had some pressure near the Bowdon line but alas, the whistle came too soon and we had lost the first 1-0.
Bowdon made a couple of changes for the second and continued to do so for the remainder of the morning. There were a couple of occasions when, as a result of injury, our boys looked to the touch line for substitution, realising this was not an option they bravely picked themselves off the ground, dug deep and continued to play with all their hearts.
The second session was more open and we found the opportunity to make some penetrating runs from both the breakdown and open play, after a particularly physical moment Max made the break through and it was 1-0. Bowdon settled to the game then, applied some pressure put the ball out wide and scored an equaliser. The pressure was back on but Manchester kept it tight and physical which was to our benefit and Matt Buckingham managed to cross the line making the score 2-1
The third and final session was still a physical one, but by this stage Manchester had the measure of Bowdon. With some tight play around the breakdown then the opportunity for some great breaks from the midfield. Ciaran broke through on two occasions to give a final score of 2-0.

As always a fantastic team effort by the boys, who revelled in their victory. Well done and congratulations from the coaches.