11th January 2014

Congleton 17 Buxton 17

A GREAT DAY AT THE OFFICE

This was a real cracker! Played at Back lane playing fields, due to the squishiness of the Hankinson’s pitch, Reardon and his team put on their best display of the season to grab a draw with a very strong Buxton side.
From the off Congleton were in the away side’s faces with excellent line speed, smashing the Buxton runners back behind the gain line. Strength wise, this was not just fortified wine; this was Congleton with the strength of New Jersey Devil Spring Vodka! Whatever Buxton threw at Congleton, the home side were equal to it. Going into half-time at 3 points apiece, it was Congleton who were more upbeat, recognising an opportunity to take a major scalp. They had shown real urgency to keep the pace of the game up and, in taking quick taps at every opportunity, they turned the bigger opposition and pressurised them regularly. However, into the second half Congleton gave Buxton a few opportunities and they stepped up their game. Congleton missed a few tackles, gave away a number of penalties and found themselves 17-3 down with just 6 minutes remaining.
But someone forgot to tell Congleton to give up! KAPPOW! They attacked Buxton with venom, power and dazzle, and were rewarded with a brilliant try. After 8 phases of play, the ball was worked to Tom Williams in the midfield who, surrounded by defenders, managed to put namesake Ed into space for the try. With just 40 seconds on the clock quick thinking Kanaurous added the extra 2 points with a drop goal to allow time to receive the ball one more time from a Buxton kick off.
Then the fun started! Buxton restarted and Congleton attacked with phase after phase. BANG! Lea fed Whiteley who gave Ed Williams enough space to squeeze over in the corner. With 2 points required for a draw Kanaurous stepped up for a tough kick. With no kicking tee at hand he was given a plastic cup from the top of a Thermos flask and, with pressure from the referee to take the kick, he casually slotted the ball over the bar to the delight of the squad and spectators. BOOM! Make no mistake; Congleton thoroughly deserved a share of the spoils.
There were some absolutely outstanding performances. Wood was spikey both in attack and defence and, with Bainbridge having his best game in a Congleton shirt, alongside Broderick and Holbrook, the back row were simply top draw. Lea, Reardon and Watt were not only good in the set piece but they played their part in the loose. With a mix of Carter, Bell, Beck and Partridge offering a variety of carrying threats from second row the future looks bright. The backs were nuggety in defence, rarely allowing the sizeable Buxton players through. Kanaurous slotted in well at 10 and he and Willis managed the game with nous. King, returning from injury, was exceptional in the centre, as was his replacement Williams, both playing with composure, intelligence and power. Manning and Whiteley were at their abrasive best and helped the back line - particularly in defence – smash down anything that came their way. Ed Williams was back to his finest, hitting the line more often and counter attacking with confidence. Man of the Match was Beresford who was a constant thorn in the Buxton’s side as he danced round them time after time.
This win is a culmination of more players coming training, positive attitude and team spirit. The players look comfortable running the patterns they are being asked to play. There are still areas the team are working on, particularly the fluency of the handling and body position in contact, but overall this performance was the best this season. Skipper Reardon said afterwards “I am very proud of each and every member of our squad. We showed today what we are capable of and with a few more minutes we would have won. The lads have worked hard getting used to the attacking and defensive structures but more than that we have intelligently gone about our business and, just like the Linley win, executed a specific game plan that we’ve worked on. A great day at the office.”