The opening minutes of the game provided a hint of what proved to be Warrington’s downfall. A simple penalty just outside the Tyldesley 22 was declined in favour of a more enterprising, but less secure, kick to touch. Although Warrington won the line-out and continued to press, the hoped-for try did not materialise and Warrington had to settle for 3 points from the boot of JP Hudson when Tyldesley were again penalised. 3-0.

The first scrum on the ten-minute mark looked ominous for Warrington as the beefier Tyldesley pack shunted them back with ease. With this possession Tyldesley gained a line-out just 5 metres out. Although Warrington resisted the initial onslaught this was at the expense of a penalty which the visitors took quickly and barged over from short range. 3-5. Ten minutes later Tyldesley extended their lead when their elusive stand-off rounded off a sustained period of pressure chiefly from their back division. 3-12.

Warrington, too, were creating chances. Centre Cherrett made a 30 metre break but Tyldesley turned the ball over before Warrington could capitalise and No8 Fleming was held up over the line after some more successful Warrington recycling. In the twenty fourth minute, snappy, well-timed passing from stand-off Hudson and centre James Hartill put winger LukeTurner in for Warrington’s first try.

From the restart, work horse Will Morgan took the ball back out to the Warrington 22 where the ball was quickly recycled to Kyle Cherrett on the charge. The burly centre then proceeded to run the length of the pitch out pacing or handing off would-be tacklers for a try under the posts, converted by Hudson. 15-12.

Two minutes later a brilliant pick-up of a loose ball from the back of a maul by Ollie Hudson should have earned the scrum half a try after a 25m sprint to the posts but unfortunately the ball was not grounded to the referee’s satisfaction.

With five minutes to go, Tyldesley were awarded a penalty on the Warrington 22 for a high tackle but fortunately the kick went wide.

HT 15-12.

Unfortunately for Warrington, in the second half, Tyldesley’s kicking game was spot on. They gained yardage with long touch kicks and although Warrington’s line-out possession through Morgan and Bullock was generally good, slow ball on occasion put scrum half Hudson under pressure and the back division on the back foot. Warrington, on the other hand, perhaps inspired by their second try where they had run the ball out of their 22, were reluctant to put boot to ball. Sometimes there were too many hands in the move, when the ball was slowed down, sometimes too few, when a long pass cut out the man who could have straightened the lineup and made an overlap. Warrington were losing the territorial battle and Tyldesley went ahead with two penalties. 15-18

Warrington coped well with their weight disadvantage in the pack with No8 Fleming salvaging the ball even as the pack retreated in the set piece but poor fielding by Warrington - a long Tyldesley kick was knocked on when it could have been left to run dead - gave Tyldesley a 5 metre scrum. Ferocious tackling by Matt Bullock and Sam Whalley in particular made light of their lack of kilograms but in the end weight told and Tyldesley logged their third try. 15-23.

With 15 minutes to go, Warrington were by no means out of the game, getting just metres short of the Tyldesley line on numerous occasions but being foiled by the determined tackling of the visitors. The option of 3 points from a simple penalty, which would have earned Warrington at least a losing bonus point, was declined as their kicker, JP Hudson, had by this time retired from the fray. Warrington continued their attack from the subsequent line-out but could just not recreate the fluency which earned them their earlier tries. Full time arrived with Warrington attacking in vain.

FT 15-23

This was an evenly matched game with both teams catching, passing and tackling well. Tyldesley, however, excelled in the kicking game and deserved the win through their greater tactical awareness.

Report by Roy Potts WRUFC