Broughton Park U13s vs Bolton

7th May 2017

Away v Broughton Park

Broughton Park u13's 5 Bolton 60

Weather: Scorchio!

Team:
Forwards :
Whittle
Webster
Griffiths
Gillibrand
Jenkinson
Holt-Gregson
Malvielle
Belle
Waite
Winteringham
Chadderton

Backs:
Keogh
Glynn
Hodson
Price
Hopkinson
Hope Barry
McDowell
Atherton

AKA The One with the Grandstand Finish and the bouncy castle

In the week when Prince Philip bowed out from public service, Broughton Park rolled out the red carpet for Bolton under 13's on the last day of the season and the final match of the u13's cup tournament. The royal treatment extended to the match being played on the first team pitch in front of the grandstand with a large crowd in attendance, and an independent referee brought in for the game.

On a baking hot day, the Mr Whippy van did a roaring trade while the Bolton team fairly sizzled on the pitch in a great display of running rugby. Given the width of the playing surface, the tactic from early was to win quick ball from the breakdown and get it wide to the runners. This paid dividends from the off, with Bolton surging into an early lead through top scorer Leon Hodson (the first of six tries, taking his season tally to 74), and Oliver Keogh (for the first of five tries on the day). Broughton for a while offered resistance and scored a great try to halve the deficit on 13 minutes.

Ben Price restored the advantage with a quick penalty taken to hand and spotting a gap running in try. Keogh scored twice more to complete a first half hat trick and to send the visitors into half time up by 30 points to 5.

With the sun beating down, and the surface firm, the second half was an exhausting affair, with a number of injuries as neither side gave any quarter in the contact elements of the game. However, the Bolton backs showed their quality by exploiting every opportunity presented to run in seven tries without reply, and clinching a deserved win at the end of a long and hard season.