Browse Sections

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

Orrell St James 32 - 26 Spartans

23/ 9/2008

WHITWORTH finally got their season under way and took plenty of positives from their display despite defeat.

Spartans gave a great first-half performance against a team which was in the Premiership last season but relegated to Division Three.

Whitworth dominated proceedings in the first half before a lack of match action, injuries and the heat took their toll late on.

They were missing influential halfbacks Howells and McGuigan, plus big prop Tony Parker, due to work commitments and a training ground injury.

From the first set of six the impressive O’Donovan put up a huge bomb. Orrell’s fullback fumbled and Chris McCormack pounced on the loose ball for a six-pointer.

The hosts couldn’t get out of their own half as some huge tackles flew in from Woodruff, Duffy and Reid.

In the 15th minute the brilliant Clegg made a mazy run down the left, threw a couple of dummies, and sent flying winger Danny McCormack in at the corner with three Orrell defenders on his back.

Three minutes from the break, Orrell’s elusive scrum-half broke through the middle and popped the ball on to his winger for a try out wide.

In the second period Spartans opened the stronger, with Crompton and Bloor making big yards up the middle and Reid and Woodruff causing problems on the flanks.

But Spartans started to make silly mistakes. From a scrum 10 yard from the line a great move saw Orrell’s winger go in out wide.

Then, from the restart, a blunder by Whitworth saw the home team's scrum-half scoot in out wide for a six-pointer.

Worse was to follow for Spartans. On the sixth tackle the ball was knocked forward out of O’Donovan’s hand by an Orrell player. The referee waved play on and the Orrell centre scooped up the ball to score.

The visitors were wilting, but man of the match Durrant took the battle back to Orrell with some barnstorming runs, one resulting in him flattening four defenders to score between the posts.

With 10 minutes to go and the game on a knife edge winger Michael Bunnell was sin-binned for a innocuous tackle. From the penalty Orrell, with the extra man, saw their winger go in for his second try.

The best try of the game came after Clegg had put in a delicate chip over the defence for Whitehead to thunder on to. He drew the fullback, and the supporting Clegg went in for a six-pointer.

In the dying seconds Whitworth had a chance to draw the game as they worked the ball wide. Gray threw a delightful dummy and went through the gap but just didn’t have the legs to get to the line.

Best performances on the day came from Durrant, Grey and Clegg.

Coach Durrant was downhearted but said: "It was an excellent performance for our first run out. We won't play a more physical team than that all season. I have four lads to come back next week, so things are looking rosy at the moment. Our priority is the league, and I think we will be there or thereabouts if we can maintain this form until the end of the season."