New Brighton 22 – Wigton 19

 

Report by Stephen Owen

 

Team: 15. Sean Ellis, 14. Brett Williams, 13. Mafi Simione, 12. Andy Signal, 11. Gaz Simpson, 10. Steve Dean, 9. Alan Hesketh, 1. Joe Cardus, 2. Phil Buckley (Capt), 3. Aaron Jones, 4. Jez Lamb, 5. Paul Roberts, 6. Paea Liku, 7. Kenny Boyd, 8. Kati Tuipulotu

Replacements: 16. John Williams, 17. Stuart Gratton, 18. Luke Thompson

 

In his programme notes President Ben Basterfield highlighted one of the key factors that has lead to the team’s recent successes along with hard work, determination and a will to win, namely confidence.  In this penultimate home game New Brighton faced a side also trying to preserve their North West One League status. Could the blues keep the run going and record a fifth successive win?

 

New Brighton did not get off to the best of starts as the nippy Wigton winger, C Studholme, caught a slow starting blues team cold with a try inside the first five minutes, converted by full back A Ledingham. In their last two league matches New Brighton had built up a lead before letting their opponents back in to the match. Even at this early stage it looked like it was going to be a close encounter. Both teams committed handling errors and at times played scrappy, unstructured rugby. However, once New Brighton had recovered from their slow start they regrouped and having found their rhythm levelled matters with a try for skipper Phil Buckley converted by fly half Steve Dean. A further period of New Brighton pressure saw Steve Dean extend their lead with a penalty before the half ended with Wigton camped in their opponents 22.

 

Half time score: New Brighton 10 – Wigton 7

 

Back in November 2010 Wigton recorded a 27 – 7 victory over New Brighton and have had a number of close games throughout the season. This match was proving to be no different as the men in green and white continued to cause the blues problems out wide with some quick threequarters. Shortly after the restart however, New Brighton grabbed the initiative with a try for fly half Steve Dean to put another five points on the board. Refusing to concede at this stage Wigton swept into their opponents half and only a couple of last ditch tackles by Paul Roberts and Sean Ellis saved the day. Having cleared their lines New Brighton suffered a lapse in concentration and were caught out by a quickly taken line out which saw the ball swiftly shipped out to the opposite wing which resulted in a Wigton try. Straight from the restart Wigton pounced on a loose pass and a converted try later it was suddenly a re-run of last week’s game where having lead for most of the match New Brighton found themselves trailing at 15 – 19. To their credit, once again the team on the pitch reflected the determination running throughout the squad by withstanding further Wigton pressure and breaking away to score a crucial try from centre, Mafi Simione, converted by Steve Dean. A tense period of normal and added time saw both teams miss penalty kicks. A collective sigh of relief echoed across Hartsfield as the final whistle blew and New Brighton recorded a crucial victory, their fifth in succession.

 

Speaking immediately after the game George Probert paid tribute to both teams who contributed to a close, hard fought game. This was another great New Brighton team effort from all those involved, both on and off the field which should augur well for the last two games of the season.     

New Brighton 30 – Broughton Park 21

 

Report by Stephen Owen

 

Team: 15. Sean Ellis, 14. Luke Thompson, 13. Andy Signal, 12. Simione Mafi, 11. Gaz Simpson, 10. Steve Dean, 9. Alan Hesketh, 1. Joe Cardus, 2. Phil Buckley (Capt), 3. John Williams, 4. Paul Roberts, 5. Jez Lamb, 6. Paea Liku, 7. Kenny Boyd, 8. Kati Tuipulotu

Replacements: 3. Stuart Gratton, 17. Brett Williams, 20. Aaron Jones

 

A fourth win in succession added to the confidence and belief that this squad is creating but almost came at the expense of collective heart failure as once again New Brighton saw their opponents claw back an initial lead to push the blues right to the limit.

 

New Brighton were lead onto the field by full back Sean Ellis on the occasion of his one hundredth appearance for New Brighton. With the game barely five minutes old,  an injury resulted in lengthy on field treatment for a Broughton Park player. Once play resumed, pressure applied by New Brighton saw fly half Steve Dean open the scoring with a penalty. Broughton Park hit back with two penalties of their own from winger Ross Oldroyd. Shortly afterwards, following strong running from prop, Joe Cardus and support play from Paea Liku and Jez Lamb, Steve Dean touched down for the first try of the afternoon which he then duly converted. With New Brighton reduced to fourteen men due to a yellow card, that man Dean skilfully stepped off his right foot to find a gap in the defence to score his second try which, once again, he duly converted to give New Brighton a comfortable lead.

 

Half time score: New Brighton 17 – Broughton Park 6

 

However, as with last week’s game at West Park, the blues somehow began to relinquish the degree of control they had exerted in the first half and with resources stretched due to a second yellow card Broughton Park duly scored an unconverted try. The pattern of play then replicated that of the previous week as an interception lead to the pacy Broughton Park winger almost going the length of the field for an unconverted try. A missed tackle in the centre and Broughton Park were not only back in the game but took the lead at 17 – 21. Would all the hard work by New Brighton be to no avail?  Steve Dean had other ideas and brought New Brighton back into it with a penalty. The fifteen men in blue jerseys then showed the spirit and determination that has characterised recent games. Roared on by the Hartsfield faithful, Steve Dean broke forward, the ball was taken on by Joe Cardus and with the forwards recycling quick, clean ball, fly half Steve Dean scored his third try. New Brighton then simply wanted it more than their opponents and a final try from Paea Liku saw them home for a fourth successive victory.

 

Final Score: New Brighton 30 – Broughton Park 21

West Park (St Helens) 17 – New Brighton 38

 

Report by Stephen Owen

 

Team: 15. Sean Ellis, 14. Andy Signal, 13. Vinnie Dutton, 12. Mafi Simione, 11. Gaz Simpson, 10. Steve Dean, 9. Luke Thompson, 1. John Williams, 2. Phil Buckley (Capt), 3. Joe Cardus, 4. Jez Lamb, 5. Paul Roberts, 6. Paea Liku, 7. Stuart Gratton, 8. Kati Tuipolutu

Replacements: 16. Kenny Boyd, 17. Aaron Jones, 18. Alan Hesketh

 

A minutes silence was observed before the match in honour of a long standing member of the West Park (St Helens) club who passed away recently.

 

The match programme notes referred to New Brighton as a club with an illustrious history that has fallen on hard times and are battling hard to regain past glories. According to the writer, New Brighton are in the thick of a dogfight at the bottom of the table and have an evens chance of escaping and so a keenly contested match was expected with a lot at stake. It is encouraging from a Blue point of view then that the team emerged the victors from this contest with a win and a bonus point for scoring five tries.

 

To refer to this as a game of two halves would not quite describe proceedings accurately. New Brighton began like a whirlwind with Steve Dean opening the scoring with a penalty followed by a try for Mafi created by Paea Liku and a further try for Gaz Simpson after some strong driving work by the forwards. Steve Dean converted both tries and the blues were looking in command at 17 points to nil. New Brighton then seemed to take their foot off the gas which allowed West Park to spread the ball wide to some pacey backs and duly scored two unconverted tries of their own. New Brighton missed a penalty and West Park ended the first half within touching distance of the visitors at 10 – 17.

 

Half time score: West Park (St Helens) 10 – New Brighton 17

 

With New Brighton struggling to exert the level of control they had enjoyed during the first period and West Park buoyed up by their two scores, both camps sensed that the next score was an important one and it duly went to the home side who scored a converted try to level the scores at 17 all. West Park, encouraged by a vociferous home support had their tails up and New Brighton were on the ropes and having to defend strongly to stay in the game. However, if there is one thing that we have seen in a number of games this season it is New Brighton sticking to the task and battling away. Lead by the forwards the Blues managed to steady the ship and despite the fact that a strong move up field saw Kati held up just short, replacement Alan Hesketh was not to be denied and a crucial try for New Brighton converted by Steve Dean saw the Blues retake the lead at 17 – 24. New Brighton now sensed they had the control that had been lacking and proceeded to make the game safe with further scores for Kati and Joe Cardus, both converted by Steve Dean to lead 17 – 38.

 

Despite a wobble mid way through the game the match was summed up by a delighted George Probert. A third win in succession, a crucial bonus point and a desire to continue this run next week and beyond.