Manch Blown Off Course

Match Report by Matthew Miles

This was a case of ‘what could have been’ for Manchester. With only 15 players available, things turned from bad to worse as Will Harrison limped off after only 2 minutes.

With hurricane like conditions whirling around Grove Park, the ref decided after 5 minutes that a hasty retreat from the wind and rain was required with both teams huddling in the stand until the worst of the weather had blown over.

The match resumed and Glossop came out on the front foot. It wasn’t the wind that was battering the Manchester try line but a barrage of Glossop bodies. Despite heroic defending, the visitors made the pressure count with what proved to be the only score of the match after 12 minutes. 0-5, conversion missed.

The rest of the match then turned into an arm wrestle but Manchester had their moments. Unfortunately the conditions limited the home side’s usual expansive game. Countless moves came to an end due to handling errors. The ball which was often being blown around like a wet bar of soap was proving to be Manchester’s worst enemy but they should be highly credited for sticking to their principles and pushing Glossop all the way.

In the end the Academy boys were beaten by a single score against a team who were not only from the division above but were also finalists last season. Add to this the fact that Manchester played all but two minutes with a man down and you can see why they should take a lot of credit from such a battling performance.

Good luck to Glossop in the next round and for the rest of the season. Hopefully, we’ll both be there on finals day at the end of the season as Manch drop into the Trophy competition.