Manchester Medics 24 Ellesmere Port 18
THERE was a mixture of pride and disappointment for Port’s players after their hopes of winning South Lancs/Cheshire Division Three were effectively ended by the table-topping Medics on Saturday.
Pride at the fact that they came desperately close to claiming the scalp of the Bowdon-based leaders for the second time this season and disappointment that the outcome of a tense and tight clash was ultimately decided by key decisions going against them.
Steve Dorrington led the praise – all the way from the USA.
The Oilers head coach watched the game via Skype on the internet after snow left him stranded in America.
Dorrington said: “It was an excellent display of rugby and one that, despite the result, made me proud to be part of the Port team.”
The Oilers started strongly, dominating the forward exchanges and the scrums, and they felt they should have been awarded more than the one penalty that they did, which was converted by Paul Millington.
Both sides were displaying excellent rugby and trying to probe for each other’s weaknesses. The visitors found one in the Medics rearguard but on two separate occasions they had tries ruled out, the first seemingly going unseen and the second perhaps legitimately held up.
Port’s dominance was telling and on 30 minutes Millington reduced his team’s deficit to a single point after they had conceded a converted try.
The hosts responded with a penalty of their own to take a 10-6 lead into half-time.
Dorrington’s side started the second half poorly. A converted try, however, served to spur them on and after Eddy Edwards had an effort controversially ruled out, No 8 Phil Gow scored an excellent pushover try which Elliot Edwards converted.
The Oilers went 18-17 in front after prop James Callaghan crashed over but late heartbreak was to follow.
There was five minutes remaining when the Medics notched the converted try that ensured them of victory and avenged their defeat at Dunkirk Lane in November, which remains their sole loss of the season so far.
The Oilers host neighbours Capenhurst on Saturday (3pm).
