Ellesmere Port 10 Crewe & Nantwich 29
ELLESMERE Port were left to think what might have been for the second week running as their South Lancs/Cheshire League Division Two losing run stretched to six games on Saturday.
The Oilers were more than a match for their old promotion rivals. But as was the case in their defeat to Marple seven days earlier, they did not get what their efforts deserved as they were beaten by a more clinical team.
The game sprang into life in the 25th minute when winger Andy Tranter broke down the left, committed the covering fullback and sent Antony Jones away to put the hosts into a deserved lead.
But the lead proved to be short-lived as table-topping Crewe, who came up with Port last season, responded strongly to race 12-5 in front.
Back came the Oilers and after No 8 Phil Gow picked up from a scrum and burst through a couple of tackles, he popped the ball off for fullback Jones to touchdown for his second try.
Veteran fly-half Paul Millington, kicking into the wind, was unable to add the extras as the visitors took a two-point advantage into the break.
They extended the lead after Craig Jones was shown a yellow card for stamping in the ruck. The Port hooker was lucky to escape a straight red card. That, however, mattered little to Crewe, who scored their second converted try during his 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
The match became more fragmented in the final 20 minutes as the Oilers pushed forward in search of a try for a losing bonus point at least.
But it was the title challengers who crossed the whitewash two more times to give the final scoreline a flattering outlook.
Third-from-bottom Port head to second-placed Oswestry on Saturday.
Ellesmere Port Under 13s were impressive in winning 59-0 at home to Whitchurch U13s on Sunday.
The U9s were in free-scoring form, too, as they triumphed 55-35 at Whitchurch U9s.
The U12s also won their match against opposition from the Whitchurch club. But the U16s went down 56-0 at home to a strong Stoke-on-Trent U16s side.
