Aspull welcome undefeated league leaders Littleborough on a beautiful autumn afternoon. The sun was shining, the leaves were falling and, after last week’s defeat at Leigh in what felt like 80 minutes in the eye of a storm, conditions couldn’t have been more different.
Littleborough arrived as a very good side, playing some expansive rugby and boasting one of the strongest attacking records in the league. They certainly showed why during the opening 20 minutes, putting Aspull under enormous pressure. In fact, it felt like we barely had the ball! Aspull were forced to defend, exit and dig deep, with Littleborough looking every bit the handful we expected.
But once Aspull finally got some possession and a bit of room to play, things started to change.
A lovely passage of play saw the ball moved wide to the ever-reliable Dave Fagan who powered his way into the corner to open the scoring.
Straight from the restart, Aspull struck again. Zeno Coultas going under the sticks, after some wonderful handling producing a brilliant team try and a real momentum shifter.
Littleborough responded with a try of their own to keep things competitive at 12–7, before Rhodri Carlton Jones added a penalty to give Aspull a little breathing space.
At half-time, with the game still very much in the balance, the message was simple. We could either make the afternoon a really hard 40 minutes, or we could go out, trust ourselves, enjoy our rugby and take the game to the league leaders.
Thankfully, the lads chose the latter!
The second half was an outstanding display from Aspull, with the forwards beginning to dominate proceedings and the whole team playing with real confidence and purpose.
Dave Fagan completed a superb hat-trick, getting on the end of some excellent team moves. The nickname ‘Tank on the Flank’ is certainly well earned. He beats his first man, runs over the second and knows exactly where the try line is. A fantastic finisher and another huge contribution.
Liam West and Jack Weaver also got on the scoresheet, both finishing off lovely lineout moves while the forwards continued to turn the screw, using their power and dominance to drive their way over for two match turning scores.
Harvey Brehney added his customary try, showing great awareness with a beautifully timed delayed pass to put him through under the posts.
Rhodri Carlton Jones kept the scoreboard ticking over with five conversions and a penalty, rounding off an excellent afternoon for the Emus.
Final score: Aspull 48 – 17 Littleborough.
A thoroughly deserved victory against an undefeated side sitting proudly at the top of the table. More importantly, it was a performance full of character, teamwork and attacking quality, particularly after the difficult opening 20 minutes.
We’re certainly not getting carried away. It’s one result, and the challenge starts all over again next week.
Next up is an away trip to Liverpool Collegiate, a formidable side on their own patch, and another tough test that we’re looking forward to.
One week at a time, boys.
In the meantime, don’t forget we’ve got a big do planned for Bonfire Night. It would be fantastic to see as many familiar faces down at the club as possible!
Have a great week, everyone, and we’ll see you next Saturday.
UP THE EMUS!
