Slip up at De La Salle

Didsbury traveled the short distance to Salford for this league fixture against De La Salle. However the team didn’t really turn up until the second half. The 1st half started at a quick pace with the home side attacking well through the centre field. Early inidescretion by the didsbury pack resulted in De La Salle taking the lead with an early penalty.

The didsbury pack dominated De La Salle in the set play – analailating the scrum in particualr with strong performances from the front row. With a 22m attacking scrum going backwards at a fast rate the scrum half somehow managed to chip through which allowed the De La Salle winger to score in the corner.

Didsbury replied with some strong running from both forwards & backs, gaining good ground progressing up the field. Unfortunaltley against the run of play and as a result of a handling error near the De La Salle line their winger was allowed to race the length of the field to score a converted try on the stroke of half time.

Stern words at half time resulted in the didsbury pack playing much better in the second half with frequent runs from Steve McDonough & Shaun Walker allowing a good attacking platform for the backs. A strong attacking 10m scrum enabled No8 Chris Matthews to glide over the line untouched. This was duely converted by Pete Davies as Didsbury got back int he game.

Didsbury were awarded a penalty late on in the game which was converted again by Davies. The lead was reduced to just 5 points. Didsbury finished strongly but could not cross the line in the dying moments of the game to snatch victory.

Next Saturday Didsbury’s 1st XV are Home in the League against Bolton.

Last Saturday’s Team: Moran (Bailey), Harley, Williams, Chivers, Davies, Wilkinson, Oakley, McDonough, Foster (Williams), Walker, Lovely, Walker, Price (Smith), Murphy, Matthews