Under strength Snr Colts win!

After checking that the game would still be going ahead despite the sudden arrival of winter, what had been thought to be an already limited squad of 14 players had turned into 9 available for the trip to Port Sunlight! Determined that the game would go ahead after having to concede earlier in the season the valiant few battled through the storms to reach the rain lashed Mersey shore and found a playable pitch had been laid on and the hosts willing to lend a couple of players to make the game more competitive.

The game began cold, wet and windy, but within 5mins Bolton had got the ball out to Mike Shepherd who produced a trade mark blitz down the wing and then put it under the posts for Liam Hampson to covert – it suddenly got brighter! After driving Port Sunlight back down the pitch a sniping move from Scrum Half Sam Kelly off the base of 5yd scrum nearly got a score before it squeezed out of frozen hands as he was tackled over the line. Not long after though Ali Wilde bounced away a couple of opposition players in his assault down the line to make it 12-0 at half time.

Bolton didn’t have it all their own way and Port Sunlight did keep up the pressure to try and get a score. Only Bolton’s solid defence kept them at bay on a number of occasions. Next to score was Ben Hill who after a few Teflon coated moments earlier in the game finally kept control long enough to cross the line. Next Captain Josh Kay shrugged off his Prop’s credentials and burst through with a 20m sprint breaking off a couple of attempts to stop him to score his first try for the team. Final points went to a second Wilde try in the corner followed up by his attempt to convert it from the touchline. Not to worry he won’t be doing it again! Final score Bolton 29 – 0 Port Sunlight.

The game wasn’t as one sided as the score may indicate and would not have been the competition it was without the sportsmanship of the Port Sunlight manager Shamis Hayes and four of his players who rotated through the Bolton squad during the match. A big thanks to them and the hospitality they showed us on the day.