Woolston Rovers 'A' returned to action and gained a very hard fought victory over Little Hulton Reds in a thrilling NWML Division Four encounter on Saturday afternoon at Monks Sports Club to move back to the top of the league table.
Rovers opened the scoring in the second minute when an overlap was created out wide and centre James Lawton scored in the left corner and fourteen minutes later loose forward Harry Files made a fifty metre break before finding scrum half Billy Maunder whose cross field kick was collected superbly by centre Callum Moore and he scored under the posts. Full back Liam Sullivan added the conversion.
Midway through the half a fine pass from hooker Adam Files found brother Harry who scored under the posts. Sullivan converted and then on the half hour Maunder intercepted close to his own line and raced eighty metres before finding substitute Niall Toher in support and he passed onto C Moore who put Sullivan over in the right corner.
Two minutes before the break Little Hulton got off the mark when loose forward Mike Vinton put scrum half James Mason over in the right corner. Stand off Wes Winder converted to make the half time score 20-6 in Rovers favour.
Seven minutes into the second half Reds hooker Lee Foster went from dummy half to score at the right of the posts. Winder converted but three minutes later a fine pass from Rovers prop forward Matt Clarke put second row Olly Parr over in the right corner. Sullivan landed a fine touchline conversion.
The visitors refused to lie down and a lovely ball from Mason put substitute Connor Sherwin over on the right. Winder converted and then on the hour winger Chris Gaffey broke through the Rovers defence to score at the right of the posts. Winder’s conversion narrowed Rovers advantage to just two points.
Shortly afterwards Rovers calmed their nerves when a great ball from substitute Sam Files put Clarke over under the posts. Sullivan converted but then seven minutes from time Little Hulton substitute Jack Schofield broke through the Rovers line and scored under the posts. Winder added the conversion to set up a grandstand finish but Rovers managed to coolly see out time to record a thrilling 32-30 win.
The Man of the Match was awarded to Rovers A loose forward Harry Files. He was very well supported by prop forward Matt Clarke and scrum half Billy Maunder.
After the game Rovers A coach Andy Penny said: "We got off to a great start, building up a twenty point lead and it looked as if we were going to run away with the game but fair play to Little Hulton who never let their heads drop and had a real dig back at us.
"The try they scored just before half time seemed to galvanise them and the second half proved to be much more of an arm wrestle but the team spirit that we have instilled into the side this year came to the fore and we were able to repel the threat.
"We dug really deep and played the final seven minutes on our terms to ensure we held on for the win.
It was also a special day for the Files/Moore family as three Files and two Moore brothers all played together for the first time, with Steve Moore as my assistant who is Callum and Kieran’s dad as well as being Sam, Adam and Harry’s uncle."
ROVERS A
Liam Sullivan, Kieran Jones, Callum Moore, James Lawton, Jay Ryder, Sam Dobson, Billy Maunder, Matt Clarke, Adam Files, Richard Potts, Tom Fagan, Olly Parr, Harry Files.
Subs: Keiran Moore, Niall Toher, Sam Files, Owen Hazlehurst.
