(Junior Colts) Trafford MV 22 – Kirkby Lonsdale 41

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!
Kirkby Lonsdale Colts v Trafford MV Colts 12th October
This week, Kirkby’s colts travelled to a misty Manchester to face Trafford MV.
Buoyed up from last week’s victory and performance, the colts were looking forward to the last game of preliminary league before a rest weekend, and then into the next phase of the league.
The warm-up had some of the usual lacklustre energy, but that was put behind them when the flying 13, Gore scored within two minutes after some neat play from Black, Armer and Tipping. Tipping converted. 0-7 to Kirkby.
Kirkby gathered from the re-start with Southey, Derbyshire probing forward. Holdsworth and Skelton-Montgomery set the platform for Tipping to unleash Gore for another try. Tipping converted. 0-14 to Kirkby within six minutes.
However, this well drilled Trafford side shook off the slow start and started to control the match. Despite some valiant defence from Tipping, Muldowney, Black and Southey, Trafford scored a try. 5-14.
Kirkby couldn’t put two phases together with sloppy handling and silly penalties the pressure built.
Trafford ran in two more trys. 15-14, Kirkby were wobbling and just staying in the game by the finest of Margins.
In the last five minutes of the first half, Ogden, Holdsworth, Ridding and Hopton all started to take the ball forward again. All unlucky not to bash through the solid Trafford defence.
15-14 at half-time.
Some focused words at half-time, a shuffle of the team, ready to go again.
Kirkby’s attack started to click. From receiving the kick off Kirkby went forward with Willoughby, Hill, Stephens supporting Muldowney and Southey. Armer fed Tipping, who danced his way past the Trafford defence to score. Tipping converted. 15-21.
Trafford hit back running in a well worked try and a conversion. 22-21.
But the never say die attitude came in, with Parry, Graham-Cumming and Skelton-Montgomery building a platform for Armer to set Muldowney and Southey down the centre of the pitch. Gore then latched onto a pass to run in another. 22-26.
From the kick off Southey set off and unlocked Wray who was unlucky not to run in another try.
Trafford came back, but resolute defending from Harrison, Skelton-Montgomery and Black gave Armer space who sent Southey and Hopton flying. A high tackle, penalty to Kirkby. Muldowney and Tipping conferred and agreed to go for the penalty. Tipping scored. 22-29. Good game management.
Kirkby started to dominate, they started to put some phases together and unleashed Gore for another try. 22-34. With the tempo still high Kirkby pressed again and the combination of Armer-Black-Muldowney-Gore unlocked a tiring defence for Tipping to score and then convert. 22-41.
As the game started to fade, Trafford came back into it. Pressing Kirkby hard. A technical foul saw a Kirkby player sin binned. Trafford kept pressing, the Kirkby defence was solid. Unfortunately, a melee occurred and Kirkby suffered some more ill-discipline with more cards being issued, leaving a sour note at the end of the game.
Final whistle, the score was 22-41. A hard fought, well refereed game that was won through grit, will and the odd flash of skill. All credit to Trafford for staying in the game and pushing Kirkby Lonsdale to the end.
Ian 'Yul Brynner' Muldowney