Pete Davies massive pockets

Didsbury, looking to bounce back after the previous weeks lack-lustre performance at Garstang, were faced with several unavailabilities. It would have suited the home side to have played the match when it was originally planned, but the cold weather put pay to that. So with eight players (Ed Taplin, Shaun Walker, Phil Dodds, Mark Harrison, Jamie Peacock, Tom Makin, Dave Hoare and Olly Thomas) missing from the previous weeks squad for varying reasons, it was a credit to the clubs strength in depth that they were able to name such a strong line-up to face their closest league rivals.
In the second row was a new pairing of the experienced Phil Lovely, with the young tyro Josh Seddon and an exciting if perhaps unfamiliar backline of Luffman, Oakley, Okidiko, Turner, Anstay, Hemmant and Davies.

Although the home side had the better of the initial exchanges, with Christian Hemmant beating his opposite winger twice early on, it was Heaton Moor who broke the deadlock with a catch and drive from a lineout. The score refocused Didsbury’s efforts and they returned to Heaton Moor territory and were awarded a penalty. With the visiting defence caught napping James Turner took a quick tap and raced into the corner to level the scores at 5-5. From the restart Didsbury cleanly caught the ball and a great break by Mark Chambers was backed up by Mike Hyde allowing the backline to launch a devastatingly quick attack. The ball found Pete Davies on the wing, and he brilliantly stood up his opposite number and skinned him for pace to race in for a try. The Heaton Moor defender was left sat on the floor wondering where Davies had gone. Didsbury again retuned the kick off well, forcing Moor onto the back foot. Davies, pulling the Moor defence all over the pitch at will, released Enita Okidiko on the left wing who sped down the line to score Didsbury’s 3rd try and stretch the lead to 17-5.
But Moor, sitting second in the league before the game, were not going to go quietly. And in Perkins Joseph, who once had a promising 5th team career at Didsbury, thay had a danger man. Never one to run around the opposition and perfecting the “Fijian-sidestep” Perkins time and again ran hard at the Didsbury defence, get himself tackled, have a lie down, and then jump back up again to do it all again. But with one loose tackle on Perkins he happily strode in under the sticks to close the gap to 17-12. Davies had had enough of running the defence ragged so he instead decided to practice his kicking, slotting two penalties to move the score onto 23-12. With the game becoming more end to end Moor struck back with a close range try. 23-17.
The strong wind wasn’t giving any real advantage to either side as it was blowing across the pitch with bits of passport and broken laptop being caught in the breeze. But Oakley used all his experience to perfectly judge his kick off’s all day, landing them just far enough to allow the Labrador-like Aidan Murphy to reclaim possession. Another good period of pressure allowed space for Harry Anstay to celebrate his long awaited return from injury with a try by the posts. Davies added the extras. With halftime looming some more slack tackling allowed the visiting number 8 a free run to the line and the eighth try of the half. 30-22.

The second half was never going to live up to the end to end nature of the first, and both teams tightened up their defences. Moor were able to force their way over for another try midway through the half, and with the conversion attempt just missing the scoreline was 30-27. Didsbury were still making breaks with Okidiko almost creeping through a gap in the middle of the park, and Oakley just unable to get a pass away after a nice break. With the game entering the last 10 minutes, a disagreement spilled over and both teams lost a player to the sinbin. With time running out Heaton Moor won a lineout, and as the game started it was finished with a drive over the line and much to the visiting crowds delight a 30-32 victory.

Both sides can take a lot from the match, and Didsbury will be hoping to build upon the performance and the return of some players back into the squad.
All of Didsbury’s backs had great performances, with Peter Davies struggling back to the changing room after the match because he had most of the Heaton Moor defence still in his pocket!

For John Fryers photos of the match go to: http://www.photoboxgallery.com/fryerfoto/collection?album_id=2484136618

Next Saturday Didsbury welcome league winners De La Salle to Ford Lane, 3pm kick off.