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A remarkable finish to this game saw Thornhill
Trojans clinch a stunning victory in the last seconds.
With the game in stoppage time and with Wigan
St. Patricks seemingly home and dry, with a four points lead, Thornhill’s Ben
Kendall somehow sneaked over for a try.
This left the conversion attempt from Craig
Holmes to determine the outcome of the game. From out wide Holmes was calm under
pressure and coolly slotted to ball sweetly between the posts.
The referee immediately blew for time and the
Thornhill players were hysterical as they had finally brought their four match
losing run to an end.
As the referee blew the full time whistle the Wigan players and officials were
up in arms disputing the amount of stoppage time which the referee had played.
However, such protests couldn’t do anything to hide the elation of Scott Dyson
and his team as victory was theirs. |
Trojans star man James Craven in action. |
Take away the final three minutes of this game
and there were very few talking points of note. The Wigan team having
comprehensively beaten the Trojans earlier in the season were looking to
consolidate their top six play off position, whilst the Trojans were looking
to overcome the self doubt which accompanies a losing sequence. As such the
two teams were locked in a tight tussle on a bitterly cold afternoon.
Thornhill Trojans welcomed back Craig Holmes to their starting line up and
immediately resumed the kicking duties – and what a bearing on the result
Holmes’ kicks proved to be. There was also a recall to first team duty for
Johnny Campbell for the first time since he was injured in the opening game
of the season. Campbell was amongst the substitutes and played the whole of
the second half.
Man of the match for Thornhill was their young winger James Craven for his
all round enthusiasm on attack. The winger made some good breaks for his
team mates. These attacks resulted in Craven registering a brace of tries.
It was the visitors who took an early lead through winger Ian Schofield when
he scored a try which he converted himself. The initial break was made right
on the half way line when a Thornhill defender was turned inside out. The
ball was then worked to winger Ian Schofield who sprinted away towards an
unguarded Thornhill try line. Schofield converted his own try.
It was the inform Craven who helped Thornhill hit back and recover from this
early lapse. A shrewd kick from Liam Morley towards the Wigan try line was
pounced upon by Craven in the corner of the field as Thornhill opened their
try account.
It was the same corner of the field that Thornhill played towards to score
their second try. After Scott Dyson had initially taken play towards the
posts, the ball was skilfully worked from left to right. A wonderful delayed
pass from Liam Morley created an overlap out wide and Craven took the pass
to reach over to score in the corner. Craig Holmes converted.
In the run up to half time Thornhill were deemed to have not stood square at
the play the ball and Ian Schofield kicked a penalty goal.
The second half started in similar way to the first with the Wigan team
catching Thornhill cold. A chip forward found Thornhill with their backs
turned and Alan Redicliff dived to score an unconverted try.
Penalty goals were then exchanged with first Craig Holmes hitting the target
for the Trojans and then Ian Schofield replying for Wigan. |
Ben Kendall looks to offload
under pressure from St Pats. |
With the visitors now holding a narrow two
point lead Thornhill had an excellent chance to raise their game when
Anthony Houghton was sin binned for pushing Johnny Campbell. However,
exactly the opposite happened as Thornhill lost the ball in a one on one
tackle just inside their own half of the field. Scrum half Steve Smith set
off on a weaving run to cover over half the length of the field for an
unconverted try.
The game, with now just over ten minutes left to play, looked to be Wigan’s.
All that was left was for Wigan to play it safe and wind down the clock to
secure the two points. | |
That was the sentiments of many supporters
as they began to drift away to escape the bitterly cold conditions.
Until the games final three minutes, the predictions of those spectators
who left early proved to be correct. But suddenly the game changed.
With Wigan back to thirteen players and
now with Thornhill having what they thought was one final push for the
try line the referee called for a scrum down. From the scrum Thornhill’s
player coach Scott Dyson made a determined dart for the posts and
appeared to have been stopped in his tracks with a thud just short.
Remarkable Dyson somehow managed to ground the ball and the referee
pointed for a try.
Craig Holmes converted from in front of
the posts.
With the scores now level, and the game entering its final minute, Wigan
made an inevitable attempt at a drop goal. The kick was charged down and
the Thornhill players looked on in despair as Anthony Houghton followed
the charged down kick and crossed for an unconverted try. Thornhill
looked dead and buried as surely Wigan had now won the game.
The referee called for the game to be started and was obviously aware of
the visitor’s time wasting tactics. The referee kept stopping his watch
to ensure the full eighty minutes were played out.
From the restart Wigan lost possession. Danny Lee made a run up field on
the first tackle. The ball was played and with the referee about to blow
for time Thornhill’s Ben Kendall unbelievably crossed for a try. The
Wigan players were stunned into silence as everyone’s attention fell on
Thornhill kicker Craig Holmes. From out wide Holmes struck the ball
cleanly to convert the try and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
for the Trojans.
The referee blew for full time and understandably Scott Dyson and his
players were cock-a-hoop.
Match report compiled by Andrew Byram. Match Photos
here |
|
 |
| Trojans Stats: |
| 1 |
C Holmes |
| 2 |
J Craven |
| 3 |
R Copley |
| 4 |
B
Hardacre |
| 5 |
T
Marsden |
| 6 |
S Dyson |
| 7 |
L Morley |
| 8 |
A Harris |
| 9 |
R
Pachniuk |
| 10 |
J Folan |
| 11 |
B Kendall |
| 12 |
S Davies |
| 13 |
J Firth |
| Subs: |
| 14 |
D Lee |
| 15 |
L Schofield |
| 16 |
K Talbot |
| 17 |
J
Campbell |
| Scorers: |
| J Craven |
2 tries |
| B Kendall |
1 try |
|
S Dyson |
1 try |
| C Holmes |
4 goals |
|
|
Trojans M.O.M. |
|
J Craven |
|
 |
| Wigan
St Pats Stats: |
| 1 |
S Simm |
| 2 |
I
Schofield |
| 3 |
S Selby |
| 4 |
A
Redcliffe |
| 5 |
S
O'Neill |
| 6 |
A
Houghton |
| 7 |
S Smith |
| 8 |
A
Gallear |
| 9 |
A
Atherton |
| 10 |
T
Suffolk |
| 11 |
R Owen |
| 12 |
M Alker |
| 13 |
M
Daniels |
| Subs: |
| 14 |
G
Phillips |
| 15 |
A Forber |
| 16 |
A Sykes |
| 17 |
C
Chamberlain |
| Scorers: |
| S Smith |
1 try |
| A Houghton |
1 try |
| A Redcliffe |
1 try |
| I Schofield |
1 try |
| I Schofield |
3 goals |
|
Cards: |
| A Houghton |
 |
| Wigan St
Pats M.O.M. |
| S
Simm |
|
|
 |
|
Team |
Pl |
Pts |
|
East Hull |
17 |
27 |
|
Leigh Miners |
17 |
26 |
|
Leigh East |
17 |
22 |
|
Skirlaugh |
16 |
20 |
|
Wigan St Pats |
17 |
20 |
|
Rochdale |
17 |
20 |
|
Oulton |
17 |
16 |
|
Siddall |
17 |
16 |
|
Cas Panthers |
17 |
16 |
|
West Hull |
17 |
16 |
|
Hull
Dockers |
17 |
15 |
|
Trojans |
16 |
12 |
|
West Bowling |
17 |
6 |
|
Eastmoor |
17 |
4 |
|
|
|
