Intense traning pays off as Ormskirk batter Hoylake 51-19

Sep 25 2008 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

ORMSKIRK treated the large crowd to a resounding victory on Saturday in their first league game at Green Lane.

The lads had trained hard in the week and knew they had to have a good first 20 minutes to wipe out the memories of a poor performance the week before.

And on a baking hot day it was fitness that played a big part in this victory. The brutal drills handed out by coaches Harland and Norman Hall in the summer really paid off against a bigger team which had a huge pack.

The game started well and after 15 minutes some slick hands in the backs got the ball to James Illingworth who linked up well from full-back. He had the ball in space and put the gas burners on from 30 metres to outpace the cover and open the scoring at 5-0.

Moments later Hoylake were judged to be off-side so Johnny Armstrong slotted the penalty to go 8-0 up. Kirk had all the possession, the back row of Ben Davis, Molyneux and Glyn Roberts working their socks off to keep knocking back the visitors.

In the scrum they were solid, Kirk props Paul Rowley and Gately were a real handful for their bigger opposition.

In the line-out Andy Wilson kept hitting his jumpers, Keiron Mahood winning plenty of ball, along with Ben Davis.

While putting pressure on the Hoylake line, birthday boy Gareth Little stole an interception and scampered in for a try.

Five minutes later, with help from Ashworth, Illingworth out-paced his man, again only to be knocked into touch inches from the line.

Hoylake kept coming back but the Kirk defence held strong until just before half-time when the Hoylake fly-half made a simple run around and out-paced the cover with a solo try. He added the extras and it was 13-7 at the break.

Captain Kirby emphasised the importance of scoring first in the second-half and almost straightaway Armstrong gave an outrageous dummy and side-stepped the covering defence. Off-loading to reliable back-rower and man of the match Glyn Roberts. Armstrong added the extras to take the score to 20-7.

The next 20 minutes saw Kirk play some quality rugby, Armstrong going over and adding the extras, as well as a penalty, to make it 30-7.

Then from their own half, the backs gained some good yards and kept the ball alive, every man off-loading in the tackle to the supporting player. The ball went from one side of the pitch to the other and finally Keiron Mahood picked up a pass from his boot laces to go in for a superb team try, Armstrong adding the extras.

Hutchings, Morgan and Parker were all introduced off the bench and were keen to make their impact.

With Ormskirk showing far superior fitness they kept bombarding the Hoylake line and Matt Johnson ran in from 30 metres, again Armstrong adding the extras.

Hoylake came back and scored from a driving maul, but straightaway Kirk marched back into the visitors’ half with Luke Parker making some good yards, off-loading to the support and Andy Wilson was on hand to sprint in at the posts, Armstrong again adding the extras to take his tally to 21 points for the day.

With 50 on the board, the pace of the game slowed down due to the heat and some poor defence out wide gave Hoylake a consolation try to make the final score 51-19.

Kirk travel to Wirral on Saturday.

The 2nd XVwon a tight game 34-33 at Didsbury, a try in the final minute by Skett and converted by Whalley enough to gain the two points.

The 3rd XV lost heavily 57-10 at Winnington Park and the 4th XV beat Garstang 43-0 at home..