1st XV
Matches
Sat 05 Nov 2016  ·  Lancashire (North)
Burnley
8
7
Didsbury Toc H RFC
1st XV
Heartbreak at Holden Road

Heartbreak at Holden Road

David Hoare7 Nov 2016 - 17:31
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https://www.didsburyrfc.co.uk/

Controversial last play penalty sinks Didsbury

Few, if any, defeats will be as hard to take as the one suffered by Toc away at high-flying Burnley on Saturday.

An ugly, bitty, yet fiercely competitive game which trudged interminably from scrum to scrum to scrum ended in dramatic and unfortunate fashion for the visitors, with Burnley slotting a 40-metre penalty with the last play of the game.They got into range after the referee deemed Toc hadn't retreated ten metres, despite not facing a quickly-taken tap penalty. That call was made shortly after the team had been penalised for the sixth time for being offside at the back foot.

Regardless, it consigned Toc to their second defeat of the term which leaves them facing an uphill struggle to meet their season's targets.The positive - if any can be taken - is that Toc's individual attitude was outstanding and they looked dangerous with ball in hand when, in-between scrums, they were able to play their attacking brand of rugby.

If Toc keep playing with the same intensity and heart that they showed here, they are a match for anyone.

Burnley have a big, robust pack and though it was forced to work hard they dominated this area of the game - indeed, their try came from a pushover scrum.Toc's try was the opposite and came after a period of flowing phase play which integrated forwards and backs and saw the ball fizz crisply and efficiently around the pitch.

A frustratingly narrow, windswept surface is not exactly playing into Toc's hands and they could only implement this gameplan for brief periods in either half. On this occasion player-coach Jonathan Beardmore was on hand to finish off a fine move which stretched Burnley right, then left. Full-back Rory Gibson added the conversion to make it 7-0, which is how it stayed until the break.

Toc sensed missed opportunities at half-time - but they approached the second 40 in confident mood with the wind at their backs and the slope in their favour. But it was Toc's inability to extend that 7-0 lead – despite chances - that would prove to be crucial. Again they struggled to get clean, attacking ball, especially from the scrum (there were lots of those), and given Burnley's dominance in that area of the game their poor handling wasn't sufficiently punished.

Credit must go to the hosts’ solid defensive structure and relentless commitment at the breakdown - but Toc's execution was nowhere near the standard of recent weeks. Winger Tom Makin came very close to scoring after a clever chip from scrum-half Ollie Thomas - but as the game wore on clear-cut scoring opportunities became harder to come by for either side as both teams worked hard to maintain their defensive shape.

That said, despite a middling performance, it looked as if Toc had done enough to take the points after 80 minutes but the rest is history. Two basic penalties gave Burnley the final access they needed and their kicker held his nerve.The whistle went immediately as ball crossed the posts leaving Toc only with a bonus point, which is no bonus whatsoever.

No game next week. Toc will be back in action against Colne and Nelson on the 19th at home and that is followed by Tarleton (away) which promises to be a great game of rugby.

Match report by James Peacock

Match details

Match date

Sat 05 Nov 2016

Kickoff

14:15

Competition

Lancashire (North)

League position

2
Burnley
4
Didsbury Toc H
Team overview
Further reading

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