Aldwinians 6 – 15 Bolton

While the professionals, in theory at least, are kept busy entertaining their fans the amateurs can always be tempted by that extra pig in blanket or half of shandy. So it was a relief when the team reported to the gym last Tuesday looking as if at least a modicum of restraint had been exercised. After an hour of gentle stretching under the kindly and benevolent tutelage of Mike and Dave Crouch and a couple of tiny weights that only the Iron Men in the group seemed to have difficulties with, it was clear that the players had looked after themselves and this was to prove important in the first match of the New Year at Aldwinians.

Regular kind readers of these reports will recall Bolton's recent struggles in east Manchester on muddy pitches so there was some apprehension when the team arrived to find the conditions similar to that setback at Ashton. The application and attitude was very different this time, however, which pleased the sizeable travelling contingent on another wet and breezy afternoon. Bolton kicked off and looked sharp and dangerous from the start. The forwards were producing quick ball and Mark Doherty, playing his first game at 10 this season, and Matt Boyers were finding gaps in the midfield keeping Bolton on the front foot. One of these incursions took the ball near to the Aldwinians line and James Singleton used a couple of runners on the blind side to create the position from which Louis Critchlow crashed over for the first try. At 5-0 to Bolton the game settled into a midfield battle where neither side could break out of the sticky patch either side of the half way line and where the ball grew in size and weight as it attracted the mud making handling and even kicking increasingly difficult. Bolton broke through a couple of times - Mark Doherty touched down through a crowd of players,but the referee was unsighted and when Will Bate broke, but Jonny Stansfield stumbled on the wing with a clear run to the line – but defences were on top. Bolton were unable to move the ball quickly enough to trouble the home defence – when a gap appeared it was closed down as acceleration proved impossible in the mud – and the larger Aldwinians pack kept the ball well enough without producing the power to break the visitors' line.

So 5-0 to Bolton at the interval and the second half started in much the same way with the game bogged down around the half way line. Bolton's frustrations at being unable to make headway against the resolute Aldwinians defence grew and mistakes started to occur as the visitors attempted to move the ball riskily. A couple of dropped passes were hacked into the Bolton 22 where the scrambling defence committed penalty offences which were converted to put the home team 6-5 ahead with 25 minutes to play. In this position at Ashton the Bolton team had failed, but this time they showed more character in adversity. Jonny Stansfield and Jack Robinson finally found a patch of grass on which they could use their pace and took the ball deep into the Shaw 22. The forwards then took over and a series of strong drives moved the ball close to the line before Critchlow plunged over again for his second try of the match. The home team may feel that defenders got hands under the ball, but the referee awarded this one. It was converted by Doherty who added a penalty shortly after following more concerted pressure to finish the scoring.
Aldwinians tried hard in the last few minutes for the score that would have earned them a losing bonus point, but never looked like penetrating the Bolton defensive line led well all afternoon by Chris Mee and flankers Nick Sandbrook and Ryan McClusky.

The fact that Bolton found a way to win this game when they have lost similar games in the past pleased the sizeable travelling contingent and it is a win that keeps them firmly in the hunt at the top of the league table. Given that it was probably Bolton's youngest ever team with nearly half the side that finished the match still in their teens with promising debuts for Harry Stocks and Gaz Liles then great encouragement can be taken into the remaining fixtures.

MoM – Louis Critchlow