4th team match report

Subject: Preston 25 - Bolton 17

Bolton 4th XV travelled the short hop and a jump to Preston Grasshoppers to renew their local rivalry, however it was a much altered team from the week before who had heroically taken down League Leaders Orrell St James in the cup match.

A mad dash of players had led to a little bit of disorganisation and it was to prove Bolton’s undoing in the first twenty mins. Initially due to start with only 14 men Preston kindly volunteered on of their subs to start for Bolton and so the game commenced on a heavy pitch but in reasonably good conditions.

Bolton kicked off and a good chase led to their lead strike runners being felled by Franny Broughton and Hardman. Bolton were fielding a number of new faces in the team through their relationship with Bolton University including young Tom Nolan in the front row who put in a sterling shift against a heavier Preston pack. The familiar face of final year student Mike Taylor played its place in stemming a number of forward drives however it was to be Preston who opened the scoring when their energetic fly half managed to open a gap for their speedy winger to dart in for the first of his two tries.

Bolton continued to tackle well but foolish mistakes and errors in handling continued to cost them good field position whilst poor tackling allowed their winger in for a second try before Bolton managed to self-destruct with a number of kickable penalties.

The pack was finding it hard going up front but veteran Dave O Byrne continued to try and make head way with the ball accompanied by scrum half Darren Robinson and new recruit Reece Sullivan who has recently relocated to Bolton and was enjoying his first game in Bolton colours showing up with some impressive work in the close quarters.

After initially being blown away in the opening twenty mins Bolton began to regain some composure with the introduction of Jeremy Van der Westhuizen who started to win some line out ball and give Bolton a modicum of control. The two Bolton students Alfie Martin and Mitch Fullbak started to combine well and it was from their interchange of passes that Mitch slipped his defender in the middle of the park and sprinted past the full back to open Bolton’s account making it 19 – 5 at half time.

The loss of Mitch just after half time to a mistimed tackle led Bolton to reorganise yet again and a new face was to take the field for Bolton in the face of Joe Harte from Bolton Mets Rugby league. This substitution immediately began to pay dividends with the strong running Harte combining with his club team mate Ken Sackfield to start to trouble the Preston defence. Indeed it was to be Harte who posted the next try as an incisive break by Sackfield off loaded to Harte who neatly chipped through and gathered his own kick to dot down for another try.

Bolton were on the offence now but again a lack of cohesion led to Preston being allowed to snaffle up the ball and break into the Bolton 22 – good last ditch defending from a number of players halted the try but Bolton were forced to concede the penalty again and this was knocked over with confidence by the Preston 10, a feat he carried out yet again as Bolton infringed again.

Bolton again fought back and a couple of heavy hits on the Preston forwards turned over the ball leading to Sackfield taking the direct route through the Preston defence to ground the ball for another 5 pointer which was converted.

Bolton still had time to go on the attack from the kick off and pressurised the Preston line with a couple of scrums 5 meters out but unlike the previous week the Preston scrum held firm leaving Preston the deserved victors.

Bolton know they need to find some consistency and organisation in their play to improve but a spirited fight back shows there is talent in this side when it decides to play.