Local Derby- Heaton Moor 22- Didsbury Toc H 29

Finally. Toc have found themselves on the wrong side of too many close matches already this season and at 22-all mid-way through the second half it looked as if this one was heading the same way.

Sensible game management and some clinical finishing in the last ten minutes saw Toc sneak home after carelessly allowing a physical Heaton Moor side back into the game. Didsbury should have been home and hosed on the hour.

Some late changes for the visitors - in the second row, at centre and at full-back – could have disrupted the team's cohesion. It is a credit to the players that it didn’t and when Toc’s foppish backs got into their stride they looked capable of causing a big Heaton Moor team plenty of problems, especially in the wider channels.

So it proved. Toc’s first-half tries were textbook. Joe Bulbeck finished off a slick, relentless period of play by touching down unopposed in the corner for the first. Rory Gibson, a constant threat at 13, ran half the length after deftly picking off an interception and shortly before the break captain Harry Rigby crashed over from short range following another period of breathless attacking rugby, which left both sides gasping for air. Moor also had their moments in the first half - but they were foiled by second row Jonny Naish, who made his presence felt in the tackle and at the breakdown where he made a couple of notable turnovers.

The game - and Toc - were undoubtedly helped by a strong refereeing performance, which made a huge difference to the flow of the match. The level of consistency was well above what Toc have been subject to since joining South Lancs and Cheshire 2 and it helped them to find their rhythm. They led 17-3 at the break. Arguably, it could have been more. By the end of the first period Toc’s half-backs had total control of the pace of the game and were opening up the pitch nicely. It was also clear that Heaton Moor’s backs were outmatched, with Max Simmonds, Bulbeck and Seb Sheratte making significant contributions in attack and defence.

Moor’s pack was a different beast and it put Didsbury under a lot of pressure at the breakdown and at set-piece. Hooker Mike Hyde was endearing himself to the locals, who he’s clearly known for some time given the long-standing nature of this derby. For most of the rest of team this was a first outing against Heaton Moor, but the players soon got into the derby spirit by making some big hits and defending with purpose.

In terms of line breaks, Moor managed few. Their attacking threat came from their driving lineout and that got them back into contention. At 17-15, Toc then edged further ahead after the excellent Josh Vize snuck over from close range, as he’d threatened to do all afternoon. But Toc couldn’t break clear. Under some pressure, Bulbeck dropped the ball over the line after another flowing move between forwards and backs which would surely have sealed it. Alas. The scores were then level with about ten minutes to go after Moor’s forwards muscled over after another unseemly mess close to the line.

That score threatened to change the momentum of the game - but Toc cleverly slowed down the pace, took control of the ball and played out the remaining minutes with the clock and the scoreboard in mind. They patiently probed for territory, knowing their backs would fashion at least one more scoring opportunity in the final throes.

It came with minutes to play from a turnover around half-way. The ball was quickly moved to the flank. Gibson did whatever it is he does when he is one-on-one and, aided by some excellent support play from Bulbeck, picked off the cover defender with an inside pass for the winger to cross for the winning score.

It sealed a win that Toc really needed and with some key players to come back into the squad, this season is starting to take shape after a stuttering start.

Man of the match: Jonny Naish.