Aldwinians 11 – 18 Didsbury Toc H

Aldwinians has never been a happy hunting ground for Didsbury, and with Winnies riding high in the league and Didsbury languishing in the bottom three you would assume this run would continue. But despite last week’s mauling by champions elect Wigton the Didsbury side have showed their real character since the turn of the year, and have set their sights on a Lazurus-esque survival campaign.

Toc H were missing Dave Foster (away), Shaun Walker (injured), and James Southall (away) from the previous weeks squad, but a strong team still took to the field, as they welcomed back Aidan Murphy and Mark Harrison.

The hosts made a great start and Didsbury were under the cosh for the first ten minutes; with Aldwinians slotting two penalties to take an early 6-0 lead. But the Didsbury team settled down and started getting the game plan going, and stop the strike runners from the home side making ground. A clever move saw winger Enita Okidiko get within inches of scoring, and breaking his duck for the first team, but the home sides defence repelled that attack. Didsbury soon got the scoreboard moving with a penalty by Olly Thomas, and with an Aldwinians player sent to the sin bin Didsbury made the man advantage count. From the restart kick Jack Hardisty fielded the kick and made good ground into midfield, from where Aidan Murphy, Mark Harrison and Mark Chambers made further ground with some bombarding runs. With possession in a good attacking area the ball was fed to centre Dylan Williams, who showed all his experience to chip over the on rushing defence for winger Dave Hoare to gather the ball at pace and touch down for the game’s opening try. Thomas converted well, and Didsbury took the lead 6-10. Hoare appeared to add a second try leaving his opposite winger for dead as he raced down the wing, only for the Didsbury linesman to deem his foot was in touch (unlike a certain official from Heaton Moor earlier in the season). With the first half nearing the end it was Didsbury’s turn to lose a man to the sin bin, with second row Hardisty getting on the wrong side of the official. Aldwinians were awarded an attacking scrum, but the seven men of Didsbury managed to get the shove on and disrupt the scrum, and again the feat was repeated on the reset scrum.

The second half Didsbury defended well, still a man down, and as Hardisty was about to re-enter the action Didsbury lost his second row colleague Phil Dodd to the sin bin. This time Aldwinians made the man advantage count and scored wide on the left wing. The conversion missed and the home team led 11-10. With Aldwinians on the attack again, Hoare stepped off his wing and intercepted a ball in the centres and set off for the tryline. Whether due to his recent return from injury, or miles on the clock, or the speed of the defender Hoare was dragged down just short of the line and the danger was cleared. Thomas regained the lead for the visitors with another penalty, and Didsbury didn’t have to wait long for another scoring chance, this time Harry Styles look-alike Tom Makin showed Hoare how an interception should be scored. Murphy made a full stretch tackle on the Winnies ball carrier forcing him to pass, and a grateful Makin collected the ball and raced under the posts. Thomas’ conversion was charged down but Didsbury had extended their lead to 11-18. Thomas had a late chance but a penalty drifted wide, and the game finished with Didsbury close to getting over the whitewash again.

A much needed win, and with seven games left Didsbury could still avoid relegation. But they will need to perform at their best for this to happen, and rely on other teams around them slipping up. The return to form of arguably the league’s best prop Tony Ames has coincided with Didsbury’s upturn in fortunes.

Next Saturday Didsbury welcome Blackburn to Ford Lane, 3pm kick off.