By Paula Ratcliffe
It takes Rhys Davies and Clayton Elliott to hold James Devine. Photo: Peter Bradley
Local derbies always have passions raised pre, during and post match and this was no exception. There was drive, ferocity, passion, cross field insults, intense tackling and some real heart pounding moments. And then came the disappointment for the home team as Wath Brow Hornets stung the home side and took victory right at the death with a converted try.
It was a hesitant start for both teams as unnecessary errors were the norm, but a silly penalty gave Wath Brow an early lead on 3 minutes when Peter Caddy slotted the ball over the bar, and Fran King extended this by going over near the corner flag for an unconverted try.
Egremont began to up their tempo and started to make headway in penetrating the Brow defence and a chip through by JP Brocklebank was scooped up by new boy Andreas Bauer for a fine try on 34 minutes for JP to convert. With tails now pointing in the right direction Egremont had turned a corner and a successful penalty from JP Brocklebank gave the home side the lead 8-6 at the break.
Egremont were hot out of the blocks and drew first blood within the first two minutes of play with a wonderful pass from super sub Paul Telford into the hands of in-form Peter ’12 pack’ Bewsher to finish with aplomb just next to the posts for an easy conversion for JP Brocklebank to slot over.
This small glimmer of daylight was increased a few minutes later when an inspired drop goal from JP Brocklebank gave Egremont a 15-6 lead, but Wath Brow increased their intensity, and when a home player was caught off-side fast hands from the penalty created an overlap for Karl Dixon to go over in the corner for an unconverted try on 53 minutes. 15 -10.
It was stalemate again until JP Brocklebank added another penalty on 70 minutes (17 – 10) and on 75 minutes when Peter Caddy hit one home for Brow (17 – 12).
The last five minutes was not for the faint hearted. Brow drove and drove at the Egremont line but the battlements stayed hardy and as Brow spilled the ball & gathered in the home hands sighs of relief were audible – then there was the uproar as Brow were given head and feed. Wath Brow took advantage and James Dixon (who really had a storming game) was the penultimate hero and scored to the right of the posts to take the game to 17 – 16 – and Peter Caddy kept his composure’ to make him the hero of the Brow with his successful conversion. 17 – 18 game over – a hard fought but deserved victory for the Brow.
