Helicopters,Trams and Minibuses

Well it was always going to be a difficult trip against a side that has done well right through the season and topped the league below us in similar fashion to our senior colts of last year, but with the added bonus of a Siberian wind , I’d swear blind it was even colder than Rossendale on top of the Tor, things were made that much harder.

A tough opening exchange with a few added skirmishes ensured we were in for a hard slog though JakE Mann gave us the lead making good use of a prevailing wind to slide over a penalty kick after 18 minutes.

Dale failed to find any rhythm to their game and did not capitalise on the strong wind through the first half. Instead of playing out of our oppositions 22 and making them work the ball back up field we took wrong options making it harder for ourselves.

Fleetwood took full advantage and took their chances with some strong play in our own half resulting in two tries and a conversion. The looked like they meant business and were hungry for the win but didn’t count on some great battling performances by Mason “Bugner” Wells and Joe “splash it all over Harry” Bruno Andrew who threw themselves into the rucks and mauls time and time again, spoiling the opposition ball and coming up with the goods to allow the counter.

Things started to get better into the last ten of the first half, we put some phases together but keen tackling by the Fleet withstood the pressure. At the death of the first half however good ball through hands by JakE to Cloughy and a lovely offload to Kane Bevan who ran a great line and outdid several defenders from 22 yards out to score a lovely try converted by the Mann.

Unfortunately at the turn around things were never going to get easier as Fleet now had the wind behind them. Guess what, we all won a shed full at the bookies because we wagered correctly that they would kick the hind legs off us and so they did.

I didn’t get to see to much more of the game due to an injury, which I hasten to add despite some stiffness and being sore has not turned out to be anything of a serious note – good news there, oh errr …sorry the injury was to a player not me though I appreciate your concerns !!

Despite some fractious tactics Dale made a good effort to keep in the game but when Danny “the wild bull of the Rossendale pampas” had to come off we lost the power to make the big yards and succumbed to a further score. Dale finished the game with some fine defending as well as last ditch attempts to prevent any further tries in the face of some pretty fierce opposition so credit the lads there.

It wasn’t our best day nor was it our worst. A little bit more heads up and thinking about what we should be doing by playing the conditions would of helped but hey ho another day another dollar and its so easy to say from my plinth up here in control tower.

We had a short walk back to the clubhouse over the tram lines which seemed twice as long on the way back due to brittle frozen toes.

It was a cold cold bitter day and the players were well glad to get back into the club for a red hot soothing shower to get the chill from their bones.

Other praises of the afternoon go out to Ben Skelton who despite never having trained in his life gave us some added power and strength and never stopped grafting. Also I would just like to add my congrats to him for his head having been chosen to be the match ball at this years FA cup final.

Cloughy’s tackling was the order of the day again but he was thwarted in attack by a good defence, its not often Cloughy doesn’t make to many yards so the defence must have been decent.

Bugner and Bruno looked like they had done the full 12 rounds with Tyson et al but never took a backward step.

However playing a blinder and taking the match award was Bryn who made excellent use of his past military experience with helicopters to successfully land the air ambulance by using his bob hat as a wind and height guidance system to guide the crew in. The fact that the helicopter ditched upside down in the Irish sea is irrelevant, at least he got them down.

On a serious note good news that JT is well and a big back slap and hand clap for the medics that provided assistance on the day. You do a great job Ladies and Gents.

It was good to get the minibus back into tropical Rossendale from the frozen wastelands.

Good look to Fleetwood on their next leg. They drew the Kwai Chan Kane followers “ah Grasshopper”. I think that will be a hell of a game.

See a follow up email from me re our next opponents.

Good night and god bless.

“Decker” Derrick