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It took Saints until the last play of the game to win this one. With a few changes to the side and the team held together with sticking plasters at the end, the visitors were made to fight all the way.
It was another good day for rugby, with a pitch holding up well for the time of year, Saints were met by a team that showed much more promise than the earlier fixture at Eastham.
The game started with Saints on the front foot and quickly looking to get on the score sheet with two lineouts within the home teams 22.
Unfortunately for Saints, AK had other ideas and their defence was up to the task. Saints were struggling to find any rhythm in the first half as both sides were evenly matched. AK’s lineout was as effective as anything Saints had played this season.
It wasn’t until the half-hour mark that a score was registered, Saints were adjudged to have made a tackle off the ball in their red zone, the ref brandished a yellow card to Saints Centre and AK kicked 3 points. HT 3-0.
Saints lost their 9 with an injury and had to make changes.
The second half began in a similar vein and for sure this one was going to the wire. AK increased their lead on 50 mins with a well-worked passage that saw their winger cross and a successful conversion attempt brought the score to 10-0.
The league leaders brought on the “Bomb Squad “ and Fred Clark made an instant impact looking to carry and hit the gain line.
On 62 minutes, following four minutes of sustained pressure in the AK 5 metre, Clark finally burrowed his way over. A successful conversion from Mat Brookes brought the score to 10-7.
As the clock was running down and the AK defence were holding strong the visiting support could be forgiven for thinking this was going to be one that got away.
Saints threw everything at the home team for the last 10 minutes and had a try disallowed as the ref adjudged the Saints player was held up over the line.
The Saints pack were determined and for the last two minutes of the match managed to keep possession of the ball and after a 5 metre attacking scrum the ball was kept tight and recycled three times before Derek Salisbury attacked the line from one metre out and came up with the winning try, successfully converted 10-14.
Congratulations to AK for being right in this game and pushing the league leaders all the way.
Next up for Saints are two home games against Winnington and then Birkenhead Park.
Image credit: Derek Salisbury Snr
Altrincham Kersal15 Samuel Walsh14 George Walker13 Lewis Townsend12 Ciaran Grieves11 Christopher Owen10 Callum John9 Harrison Clough1 Christopher Weighell2 Paul Mallaband3 Jack Gallimore4 Christopher Roddy5 Steven Perkins6 Kieran Lalley7 Dominic Hensman8 Andrew DaunceyAltrincham Kersal SubsS1 Aaron LoftusS2 Douglas WhyleyS3 Jamie Dalloway
Anselmians15 Adam Bramhall14 Joel Ashton13 Ewan Nolan12 Ransford Otutaha11 Campbell Clayton10 Matthew Brookes9 George Manger1 Kostja Vezanovs2 Daniel Salisbury3 Derek Salisbury4 Niall Cavanagh5 Jack Richards6 Jack Sanders7 Samuel Gregory8 William GrabeAnselmians SubsS1 William SassS2 Robert O’DonnellS3 Fred Clark
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