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Crocs defy Davies blow
Carlisle 7 - Old Crossleyans 17 Old Crossleyans got off to a winning start in North Two East at Carlisle, but the game was not without a major disappointment.
Play was suspended after only a couple of minutes when Crocs new player/coach Jonathan Davies was turned awkwardly when in possession and sustained a double fracture of his lower leg.
When play resumed, after almost 40 minutes delay, Luke Smith replaced Davies in the centre, and Crossleyans for a period were understandably unable to raise their game.
Early and sustained pressure from Carlisle resulted in an easy penalty chance in front of the posts but Glen Weightman sent the ball wide.
Crocs were hanging on at this stage but good tackling and Carlisle errors kept the scoreboard blank until, after a Crossleyan mistake, Carlisle open side Bobby Sherlock scored under the posts for Weightman to convert and give the home side a 7-0 advantage midway through the first half.
Crossleyans were by now beginning to recover from the shock of losing Davies and a Chris Seymour break followed by a good run from winger Dan Bancroft allowed the Crocs pack to recycle the ball and give Andy Day a close range try, converted by Gareth Ott.
After more Carlisle pressure, and mistakes, Bancroft ran a good 50 metres only for the ball to be lost, together with the all the ground, due to a good Carlisle clearance kick.
Seymour had by this time found his kicking form and several excellent tackles and touch finders from him put Carlisle back into their own half.
Approaching half time Bancroft was again fed the ball and a 50 metre run and kick ahead gave him a try in the corner which Ott was unable to convert. This took the score to 7-12 in Crossleyans' favour and they added to this immediately when the ever alert James Wainwright intercepted what could have been a Carlisle try scoring pass to race 80 metres and score too wide out for Ott to add the goal.
A half time score of 17-7 in Crocs favour was much against the run of play but in the second half, with the wind in their favour, the Crossleyans defended well and good work from James Mallard at scrum half, some good defensive work by forwards and backs alike, and a determination to give nothing away kept the scoresheet blank.
Luke Smith was sin binned and could still be heard protesting his innocence in the bar after the game, suggesting that Richard Wheale was the culprit.
Dave Malloy injured his shoulder and was replaced by debutant Robert Oliver.
Carlisle continued to spill good ball in the face of a resolute Crossleyan defence and the game drifted to a close with no further scoring.
On the positive side, of what was a rather sad day for the Crossleyans, the forwards played well as a unit, the backs ran and tackled resolutely, the team spirit was excellent and two valuable away league points were won.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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