Browse Sections

• Rochdale FC
• Rochdale Hornets
• Local football
• Local cricket

Greetland All Rounders 10 Whitworth Spartans 62

25/ 3/2008

It’s one down and one to play as Whitworth Spartans blew away hosts Greetland with some great rugby and spectacular tries.

The only downside for Spartans was an horrific ankle injury to winger Darren Thompson. The referee called time early as paramedics worked on him for 30 minutes before taking him to hospital.

Spartans opened the scoring after one minute when man of the match Les Salisbury made a break and fed Thompson for him to go in out wide.

Two minutes later Salisbury went charging onto a ball from the brilliant Howells to skittle over three defenders and go in for a six-pointer.

The visitors’ defence was ruthless, Woodruff again topping the tackle count followed closely by Clegg who had a powerful game at hooker. Brien and Crompton had big games up the middle, blasting holes in the Greetland defence.

On nine minutes big centre Woodruff crashed over after great work by Whitehead.

Howells then opened up the defence with three sidesteps and a dummy to go in out wide.

Crompton went on a barnstorming run, swatting off tacklers to score a great individual try, and Greetland’s heads started to drop.

On the stroke of half time a great break by Bunnell saw Clegg throw a dummy and squeeze over.

At half time Greetland retreated to their dressing room and reappeared, to the dismay of everyone, even their own supporters, with a totally different side. First team players who had played an hour earlier stepped into the second team’s shirts and came out for the second half.

It didn’t do them much good, as big prop Brien made a powerful run to go in between the posts.

Greetland put up a bit of resistance, scoring two well worked tries, but Howells again stepped his way to the line for a six-pointer.

McCormack scored the try of the game,after a great break by Salisbury. On the sixth tackle Whitworth went for the power play, the ball passing through all the team for McCormack to split the defence and score between the sticks.

Whitehead scored a great try, weaving his way to the line, then Lee Durrant chipped the ball over the fullback and won the race to the line to score.

In the 65th minute the ball was worked wide and Thompson, from what looked like an innocuous tackle, was left screaming in pain on the ground.

Players from both sides were shocked when they saw the severity of the injury and the referee quickly called the game off.

Thanks must go to all players and committee who cared for Thompson until the ambulance arrived, and the club wishes him a speedy recovery.

Durrant now hopes his team can win promotion and dedicate the success to Thompson. He said: "It was a sterling performance. Promotion is in our own hands now. We just need to beat Grimethorpe in two weeks time for that second spot.

"At times in this game we tried to force the pass and bombed about four tries. We need to be a bit more clinical, but the lads are fired up for the Grimethorpe game and will go out and win it for Darren."