Winlaton Vulcans RFC

In the absence of a 1st XV game this week the home fans had the opportunity to watch the younger but less experienced 2nd’s in action against Newton Aycliffe who had both crossed swords 6 weeks earlier with the visitors departing victorious by a score of 19-10 in a Durham Junior League game.

Winlaton were able to field a strong side and had a healthy bench from which they were able to lend the opposition, club stalwart Harvey Webster to bolster their front row.

Due to the inclement weather the game was played on the less used 3rd team pitch which was in beautiful condition and lent itself to what was to be a highly entertaining game played with plenty of skill and a lot of free running.

Winlaton received the kick off and using their undoubted size advantage in the pack began to boss things up front, but as is the usual way didn’t make their superiority count and when the defence turned over the ball it released what was a young and fast set of Aycliffe backs the fly half kicked up the field but the home full back threw a pass that was intercepted for the visitors to score. 0-7

This woke up the home side who replied almost immediately with a score of their own when Chris Coates touched down from a catch and drive to take Winlaton to 5-7. This was short-lived as the opposition again set their backs away that were being well marshalled by the young fly half. From a scrum and quick maul he put in a lovely chip which was caught on the full by the outside centre who sped away to out strip the covering defenders and score. 5-12

At this point it looked daunting for the home side who were struggling to combat the fast and fluid game the visitors were playing, the one drawback for Aycliffe was their constant infringement at the contact area and this prompted the referee, who had been appointed for the cancelled 1st XV cup game vs. Hartlepool, to sin bin one Harvey Webster when he dived through a ruck and picked the ball up.

Being down to 14 men to its toll, from the resulting penalty Micky Wharton reduced the deficit to 4 points by scoring. 8-12 and straight from the kick off Winlaton manoeuvred themselves up field and scored a try from Prop Ash Merritt to take the half time score to 13-12.

The 2nd half was end to end, when back to full strength Aycliffe caused the Vulcans no end of problems and scored 2 tries in quick succession, one a beauty going 60 yards with some excellent hands to score. Winlaton found themselves 2 scores down at 12-23 and some changes were made.

Winlaton then worked hard to get back in the game, by now some very direct and aggressive running from Barry Morns, Dave Hunter and Aaron Gowling was beginning to take it’s toll and the they were regularly finding yards through the middle. One such run set up a score for Hooker Sam McArdle who scored and then Ian Fleming popped over to score with the conversion to give the home side a 1 point lead 24-23. Aycliffe sensing a defeat set off again to conjure up a score from nothing, touching down in the corner to retake the lead, ironically if they had a pack to go with their outstanding young backs they would be a very formidable side.

Not to be outdone the home side mustered one last attack in the dying minutes and when a try was scored from an attacking penalty the result went to the Vulcans by the narrowest of margins.

Winlaton 29 – 28 Newton Aycliffe

Side; Graham Murdie (Ian Fleming), Dan Walker, Ben Peters-Jones (Tony Horsfall), David Scott, Matt Lee, Chris Wilcox, Micky Wharton, Ash Merritt (Butch Adams), Sam McArdle, Alex Tulip, Aaron Gowling (George Hendry), Chris Coates, Dave Hunter, Barry Morns, Kev Scott (capt).

View the photo's from the game here....http://winlatonvulcansrfc.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album07