C&N away, match report

Kirkby first XV travelled down the motorway to Crewe for their first game of the season with their opponents moving from the Midlands Regional 2 league to the North West division. Thus an unknown quantity. Armistead is out due to injury with Jack Woodhouse as replacement. We welcomed Nikora Brown joining the squad from NZ.
Crewe and Nantwich started this encounter with Kirkby gathering the ball and moved it along the backs but a dropped ball gave the first scrum of the match. The home team pack showed their strength in pushing the Kirkby forwards back. A slick move gave the home team a penalty for offside from which the first points of the game were scored. 3-0.
Kirkby were still finding their feet after the journey as their opponents moved the ball from a scrum along their backs to exploit a gap in the Kirkby defence to score the first try after 10 minutes. 10-0. The home side exploited this weakness and two further tries by their swift winger over the next ten minutes moved the scoreboard to 24-0. Undeterred, Kirkby came back and pressure by the forwards saw them score the first try of the season. Lawson converted. 24-7. Little drew a yellow card and two further tries by the home team gave them a half time lead of 36-7 James Hadwin, coach, re-jigged the Kirkby team with Nicholson moved to the backs outside Lomas and the lads seemed to get their second wind. A slick move down the line saw Oates over for a try after 10 minutes. 36-12. Further pressure from Kirkby saw C & N clear their lines with a desperate kick up field. Unfortunately, as Oates was gathering he knocked on giving their opponents a scrum 15 yards out from where their forwards used their weight advantage to score. 41-12. The next 70 per cent of the game was played in the home sides half of the pitch with a try awarded to Kirkby by the referee but intervention by the Crewe linesman said a foot was in touch and the try disallowed. The home side lost their number 9 after two yellow cards and still Kirkby pressed but the try line eluded them. Against the run of play, the C & N wing gave the home supporters another try to bring the score to 46-12. In the dying minutes of the game Lawson went over for a try which the home side linesman pointed for a touchdown and penalty try but for some reason the referee ruled no try and blew full time. The score did not reflect the game and Kirkby can take plenty of positives from this first encounter.
Douglas, Isle of Man this week with Kick Off at the earlier time of 1 pm.

DJH