Tougher than expected

A break in the league competition this week as it gave way to the Raging Bull Trophy first round which saw the Clitheroe 1st XV travel away to meet Garstang 2nd XV. Following a good run of form in the league and the fact Garstang are a division below the Littlemoor men some observers of the form book expecting a simple task for the Maroon & Gold, but there are no easy away games and in a Cup competition, every team raises their game for the one off match.

Clitheroe fielded a strong squad but with some omissions from the settled team of recent weeks, Garstang started strongly as expected and after a series of driving tight in the side of the ruck they found themselves deep in Clitheroe territory. After a further drive the Garstang forwards rolled the ball out of the maul and sneaked down the blind side to score wide out. The conversion was missed but Clitheroe were 5 points down in a match most would expect them to control from the outset. This seemed to spur the Maroon & Gold into action and Lafranceschina chipped the ball over the top and Peel ripped it from the defending Garstang back line. He charged down the pitch supported by Ralph Rigby who took the popped pass and cleared the remaining defence to score near the posts. Conversion taken moved the score to 5 – 7 to the visitors and from the re-start the Clitheroe forwards showed they meant business by setting a good ball for the back line. Up the pitch they went with Watson and Peel combining well at outside half and inside centre, Waddington took a crashing tackle in midfield but still managed to get the ball back through the forwards. From their pitch position Clitheroe kicked for field position, but Garstang took their lineout well with a lofty jump and proceeded to ply the pressure on Clitheroe. Cowgill and Rigby were working hard in the back row, with Cowgill’s deft of hand pleasing his team mates.

Again it was Cowgill who scalped in a ball form the lineout on a Garstang throw, a great steal on the ball which gave possession back to the Maroon & Gold. The ball was spun out through 6 pairs of hands in the backline and it was Hough who touched down near the posts to make the conversion easy for Lafranceschina, 5 – 14.

Half time came and went and what had been a typically scrappy cup game proceeded to ebb and flow but with neither side being able to put together the necessary momentum and passages of play to score. Garstang came close with a very direct run from their full back who was eventually hauled down 10 yards out and after holding on a touch too long for the referee’s liking Clitheroe were awarded the penalty to clear their lines.

The flow of the game was not to the Maroon & Gold liking and the stop start nature of the game was against the way they have played in recent weeks with such success – but a classic cup encounter it was. The game was put beyond doubt with a raking kick over the top from Lafranceschina who along with the backline chased up his own kick, the full back fumbled and Lafranceschina gathered the ball up to slide over the line in the wet conditions to score wide on the touchline. The conversion was missed but it put the game well beyond the battling reach of Garstang at 5 – 19 to the Maroon & Gold.

Next week the league competition resumes with a seaside theme for both Clitheroe teams with the 1st XV travelling away to Fleetwood, while the 2nd XV welcome Blackpool to Littlemoor with a 2:30 pm kickoff.