COACHES REVIEW
ASPULL V TOC H

Toc H 1s secured a hard-fought, bonus-point victory away from home on Saturday, overcoming a physical challenge from Aspull in a fixture that lived up to its reputation for difficulty. The final whistle saw the men from Didsbury prevail with a score of 34-19 in a compelling league contest.

The opening exchanges belonged firmly to the hosts. The Toc H defensive line was immediately under pressure, forced to withstand a relentless 15-minute siege as Aspull, leveraging their significant size and power, the 'Emus' settled quickly into their rhythm.

The home side’s early dominance paid dividends on the scoreboard. Aspull eventually breached the defensive wall for the first try of the day, swiftly followed by a penalty kick to establish an 8-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.

Despite the early deficit, Toc H found their footing, injecting pace and structure into their game. A well-executed penalty kick to the corner provided the platform for their forwards to show their own strength. Driving over with a clinical rolling maul, hooker Owen Mills crashed over for Toc H's opening score.

Toc H’s fast-paced, multi-phase attack quickly yielded a second score. Spreading the ball wide with precision, winger Lois Rose-Fall dotted down, and Joe Macpherson added the conversion, briefly handing Toc H the lead at 12-8.
Aspull immediately responded, using slick play down the flank to snatch back the advantage with a second try, making the score 13-12. However, right before the break, Aspull’s ill-discipline provided Toc H a crucial opportunity. Stand-off Josh Vize executed a wide miss pass, feeding flying centre Cam Arnott, whose long reach found the try line.
The first half ended with Toc H holding a precarious but vital lead: 17-13.

The opening 20 minutes of the second half became a grinding, even contest, punctuated only by penalty kicks, keeping the scoreline tight.
However, as Aspull’s formidable challenge began to wane, Toc H’s patience and ball retention paid off. The visitors began to control possession, culminating in arguably the try of the day. From a clean lineout, a superb combination of both forwards and backs put debutant Kevin Hodgson away. Beating the scrambling Aspull defence on the wing, Hodgson crossed for his first try in Toc H colours, sealing the crucial bonus point.

A clearing kick from Aspull was gathered by full-back Tom Atkinson, who spotted a gaping hole in the midfield. Atkinson surged forward on a magnificent 60-meter run, finishing under the posts to cap a brilliant individual performance and seal the 34-19 victory.

This was a professional, five-point performance from Toc H against a fiercely strong and passionate Aspull side. Earning a five-point victory away from home against such committed opposition is a testament to the team’s resolve and structure.
The Man of the Match honours went deservedly to full-back Tom Atkinson, whose consistent excellence in both attack and defence, highlighted by his sensational 60-meter try, proved pivotal to the result.

The challenge now intensifies. Next week, the boys return home to face the unbeaten Eccles. Toc H will need to prepare fully to maintain this winning momentum.