"The Boys are back in Town "

It was a difficult week to think any more so the match report is a per the Free press write up :

In the words of the song "What a difference a day makes" , or a week in this case. If you asked for a positive response to the mauling Rossendale Rufc Second team got last week then the result from Saturdays game would certainly put a cheery smile back on your face. It was the final game in the Cotton Traders Premier League before the teams split into Conference Divisions for the remainder of the season. Preston Grasshoppers were the visitors and whilst they themselves languish in a position at the wrong end of the table Grasshoppers have come up with some eye opening results and are no walkovers. The game started with a hard but fair physical contest that generally played out for the rest of the match. Perhaps little to excite from a running rugby point of view but nonetheless entertaining and when we did get movement of the ball through hands the entertainment value heightened . It was the visitors that made first impressions however when they took the opportunity to press into Dales twenty two and pushed the ball out wide to outflank the defence. It seemed to be a wake up call for Rossendale and only served to remind the players that to win the game you have to do the hard yards and that's what they did. Rossendale ground out good position from the kick off and put pressure onto Preston who couldn't clear the ball away from their own twenty two. A good movement through hands from Matt Hindley and Tom Allen saw Brad Cave create gaps with some lovely footwork and score with Hayden Wells converting. Rossendale were upping their game at this point and it was shortly after that a lovely sweeping movement by Kane Bevan to the far side going up the hill saw an offload to Georgie Lowthion who then found Olly Molloy who outpaced the defence to go over in the corner. With no further scores in the first half the teams took the oranges at half time 12-5 in Dales favour. Whilst I wouldn't be so bold as to say that Rossendale completely dominated the second half its fair to say that they nearly did. Preston whilst remaining strong couldn't reply to the waves of Dales pressure. Israr Asif ran a great line to be pulled up just short but in the next phase Scott Marshall did just the same and powered his way over the line for a great try converted by Wells again. The final try for Rossendale was another one of those entertaining moments where the ball went through numerous hands , a lovely offload by Remy Lunard and Olly Molloy notched his second in the far corner. Preston recorded a consolation try on the last play of the game but Dale deservedly took the spoils .Kane Bevan had an outstanding game and the forwards were a rock ably led by Tom Earnshaw . The score could of been a lot more and perhaps should but for the resilience of Preston and some elementary mistakes by Dale . Nonetheless a great moral boost for the squad and richly deserved . Next weeks game is a home cup encounter versus Vale of Lune (2.15 ko). Great support on Saturday and another good turn out this week would be appreciated.