LONGTON 1ST XV vs STAFFORD 1ST XV. 4TH JANUARY 2020. LEAGUE MATCH.

Stafford travelled to Trentham Fields for the opening game of 2020. The two teams had previously earlier in the season at Castle Fields with Stafford earning a comprehensive 44 – 0 win. Since then Longton had put in a series of good performances to move into 5th in the league, just one place below the travelling county town team.

The opening period of the game belonged to a decisive Longton. A couple of mistakes by the visiting county town team were seized upon allowing the hosts to take two early tries and a conversion for an initial lead. The battle between the teams descended into brutality with the collisions echoing around the park and any yards being hard earned by both sides. The teams were locked together until an alert Alosio Yamoyamo secured a loose ball and tore through a back-peddling defence. A following chase by Dan Mills created chaos for Longton and Louis Dewsbury took the final pass for a try, converted by Christian Ureche. Stafford struck for a second time when a foray by Alosio Yamoyamo diverted all the attention of the defence, Louis Dewsbury ripped past the final defender and Christian Ureche secured the ball for a try which he then converted. The resurgence was disrupted when a yellow card temporarily reduced the visitors to fourteen on the pitch and a subsequent Longton penalty retook the lead. The game of attrition resumed with both teams looking for any advantage. A strong push by the Stafford forwards punched its way through the indomitable defence to create a good attacking platform. The ball flew through the hands to find an evasive Nick Oxley flying down the wing, combining with Dan Mills they shredded the remaining defenders before Nick Oxley crossed the line for a try, converted by Christian Ureche. Longton finished the half strongly, the heavy forwards crashing the play to within sight of the Stafford line. A couple of attacks should have propelled them across the line, but the visiting defence repelled everything thrown at it until the referee’s whistle signalled the end of the period. Stafford went into half time narrowly leading 15-19 but both teams having to fight hard to keep themselves in the game.

Longton came piling into the second half, the opposition forwards savagely driving the ball up the pitch to take a converted try and snatch back a one-point lead. Retaliation wasn’t long coming when a Callum Hoy carry punched a hole through defenders and Jerry Qasenivalu tore through tackles for a try to take the bonus point, converted by Christian Ureche. Longton secured their bonus point moments later as the forwards crashed over, but a missed conversion left them one point adrift of the lead. The game started to take its toll when Alosio Yamoyamo and Christian Ureche came off injured leaving the visiting Stafford XV to redeploy players as cover for a depleted back line. Some simple rugby by the visiting county town team gained good ground and put the pack within sight of the Longton line. A few phases softened up the opposition before Ben Chatfield erupted from the pile to power through the remainder of Longton for a try, but the conversion eluded the travellers. A Longton try closed the gap, but a missed conversion left the home side one point short of the lead. The final ten minutes were medieval as ferocious attacks encountered debilitating defence to leave bodies strewn across a darkening pitch. With the clock elapsing a punishing attack drove Longton deep into Stafford territory. The two sets of forwards battled across the try line and a Longton score appeared to be a certainty. Digging deep the Stafford defence would not lie down absorbing everything until the referee’s whistle signalled a minor infringement by Longton to end an exhausting game.