Bolton U18s beat top of the League Crewe in a nail biting finish!

As Bolton U18s headed on the long journey to Crewe & Nantwich they knew it was going to be a touch match, with Crewe riding high at the top of their League. From the start it was clear that the teams were well-matched, and neither side was giving an inch. A few early mistakes by Bolton gave Crewe the advantage, and they drove over the line after 10 minutes and so the score was 5-0. Crewe continued to attack, but some tremendous tackling by Matthew Chowdhury and Jonny Wallis kept them at bay. Crewe then tried to gain advantage by kicking deep into Bolton’s half, but some quick work by George Lilleywhite and Zach Doogan saw the ball swept up and driven back at Crewe every time.
The scrums were evenly matched, with both teams showing real strength. Eventually the ball was flicked out to David Price, who passed it quickly to Adam Hackin, who made a great run down the field, but Crewe’s defence proved too strong. Bolton came back attacking hard again, with Morgan Smith and Ben Nicholson making good ground. Jamie Currie was then tackled too high, and David Price kicked for a penalty goal, leaving the score at 5-3 at half time.
The second half saw Bolton continue to drive hard, and great runs by Joe Carter, Sam Humphreys and Will Hinchcliffe eventually saw Matthew Chowdhury catch the ball and completely outwit Crewe’s defence, and he had a clear run to the touch line. However, the referee stopped the game for what he thought was an injury before he could touch down – much to the crowd’s disappointment. With Joe Carter leaving the field injured, Lewis Rostron came on to play his first ever game of rugby. He shows every sign of being a welcome addition to the team, making one of the hardest tackles of the game. As the game neared the end, the referee signalled for the last play of the game. It was Crewe’s scrum, but Bolton’s passion and determination were never stronger. Jamie Currie and Harvey Banks tackled Crewe hard, and Bolton won the ball. Tom Evans passed to David Price, and Paddy Hargreaves, Jonny Wallis and Nathan Collins kept driving the ball forward. Bolton were getting tantalisingly close to scoring a try, which proved Crewe’s weakness, as they gave away a penalty. Bolton decided to go for goal, and David Price stepped up, knowing that the result of the game rested on his kick. It was a tremendously pressured situation, but he remained calm, and the cheers as his ball went over the posts were well deserved.
An incredibly close and hard fought game, with Bolton the deserved winners.