Cleck win away at Liverpool

Granted the Cleck pack was re-shuffled due to injuries and unavailability but LSH shunted them backwards at the first two scrums and inched towards the visitor’s line. Only 6 minutes had elapsed when the LSH captain and number 8 forced his way over the white wash to register a try, the conversion was missed.

This reversal was the wake up call Cleck needed and they chased the restart with intent, immediately putting LSH on the back foot to establish field position in the home sides half. Ball retention was good and Cleck started to use their speedy three quarters with effect to stretch the home side’s defence .Inevitably the pressure resulted in a penalty and stand off Owen Edwards got on the score sheet on the 11th minute to reduce the deficit to two points.

Cleck maintained the pressure and LSH were reduced to long kicks out of defence , these were meat and drink to Cleck’s young full – back Ross Hayden who ran everything back at them beating ay least two or three would be tacklers every time he touched the ball to keep the Cleck counter attack going.

On the half hour Cleck finally went into the lead when centre Tom Lauriston latched on to pop pass from Edwards and bounced off three defenders to score under the posts , Edwards added the conversion to put the visitors 10 – 5.

In the run up to half time a member of each sides back row received yellow cards for infringements at the breakdown but there was no further score.

The second half restart was a mirror image to the first half with LSH all over a strangely lack lustre Cleck , all the vigour of the latter part of the first half had disappeared from Cleck’s game and they endured a twenty minute period without the ball as LSH battered their defence . It say’s a lot for Cleck’s discipline in that LSH were only able to register a penalty and a drop goal from Simon Worsley in this period, never once did they breach the defensive line with a clear cut try scoring opportunity.

Both sides became increasingly frustrated by the match official’s inability to police the ruck area and with fifteen minutes to go there was, what could be described as free for all, as both sided waded into each other .Surprisingly nobody received their marching orders and the game resumed with Cleck at last switching back on to power back into the LSH half.

With ten minutes to go they took a kickable penalty opportunity to reduce the deficit to one point and then preceded to pressurise LSH. After a catch and drive opportunity was thwarted the Cleck pack regained possession and retained it to pick and drive over the line with Mark Chivers claiming the touch down, Edwards added the goal from wide out.

There was no further score and Cleck emerged as 20 -14 victors in an encounter which did little justice to LSH’s League position and reminded Cleck that they have to focus for 80 minutes if they are to play the rugby they are capable of.