Bolton U15s vs Tarleton U15s

24 February 2019

Bolton U15’s v Tarleton U15”s
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Weather: Warm Sunny

Final Score Bolton 19 Tarleton 27

Tries: Keogh, Atherton, Webster
Conversions: Price x 2

Bolton under 15’s hosted Tarleton on a glorious sunny morning, with half term holidays and players on county duty leaving a selection headache for the coaching team.

Happily, stalwart prop Connor Whittle was available following a lengthy lay off through injury and Alistair Harris made his debut for the under 15’s filling in ably at scrum half. Completing the cavalry was new signing Memphis Basnett who on this performance shows great promise.

A full strength Tarleton , seeking payback from a drubbing they received in the league from Bolton earlier in the season, took the lead through a penalty kick on six minutes after some ill discipline in the Bolton defence.

Bolton took the lead on twelve minutes when regular try scorer Oliver Keogh picked up a loose ball at speed and used his considerable momentum to twist out of a last ditch tackle and touch over. Three minutes later, Tarleton retook the lead from a well worked play out of the ruck, with a clever angle enabling them to catch the Bolton defence too flat.

On 23 minutes good work from Harris, linking up well with captain Ben Price fed the ball out to Sam Atherton (filling in as a back) and he scored down the right hand side. Price converted to put the home side 14-8 up.

Tarleton heads did not go down and they continued to press, always within the spirit of the game and demonstrating the level of sportsmanship for which Tarleton has achieved a well deserved reputation this season.

Their efforts were rewarded in the run up to half time with the visitors scoring twice to leave them 20-14 up at the break.

Bolton began the second half brightly when a stray lineout from Tarleton was collected gleefully by stand in flanker Peter Webster and he drove over for only his second try of the season to bring Bolton right back into contention.

The rest of the half was a tightly contested affair, refereed well by Mr D Gregson with invaluable help from his many knowledgeable touch judges. However, Bolton never had another clear opportunity, and Tarleton scored late on to put a slightly unfair gloss on the scoreline, as their coaching staff graciously conceded.

Next week Bolton will play in the last eight of the Lancashire Cup away against the mighty Liverpool Collegiate, while Tarleton will be doing battle in one of the other competitions and we wish them all the success they deserve.

Final score: Bolton 19 Tarleton 27