OH MR PORTER WHAT SHALL WE DO, WE WANTED TO GO WIDNES BUT WE ENDED UP WITH CREWE

SOUTHPORT 48 CREWE & NANTWICH 5

It was friends reunited as Southport Senior Colts were able to call on ample numbers of under 19s and 18s on Sunday for the first time this season with an impressive squad of nineteen champing at the bit. Originally scheduled to play Widnes away in the quarter final of the Lancashire Cup, the fixture was changed to accommodate Crewe & Nantwich at home in the Raging Bull NW League Plate. The visitors who play two leagues below were up against it from the start having travelled with only fourteen players to choose from (a predicament Southport has found itself in on several occasions this season) with no front row, added to difficult conditions on a bitterly cold and wind swept afternoon at Waterloo Road.

As England discovered against Italy there are no ‘give me’s’ and Southport were made to battle all the way as the gutsy South Cheshire side defended valiantly, and were unlucky not to have added to their solitary try scored towards the end of the first half. But ultimately the home side’s superior numbers and strong running proved decisive in racking up eight tries. Bearing in mind this was the first time many of the Southport players from the two eligible age groups had played together, this was an encouraging performance with many fine individual moments and passages of play, although understandably entwined with some sloppiness at times.

Any early nerves were quickly settled when winger Chris Cope expertly finished off a Tom Peacock break, with full back Peacock himself soon adding a second try expertly timing his run into the line to secure a 10-0 lead. Skipper Jacob McMullen, largely responsible for galvanising the troops, was unsuccessful with both conversions and to compound his misery his short-lived involvement came to an end soon after when a collision with Peacock saw him leave the field and carted off to hospital with a fractured shoulder. Nick Greenhalgh came off the bench to fill the stand-off position with aplomb with Forest Bailey, supporting a strong run from Jordan Caldwell, adding a third try which was duly converted by Dan Cresswell.

Cresswell was then involved in the next try superbly interchanging passes with Sam Cross before Cross claimed the honours and Cresswell the extras to leave the home side sitting comfortable at 24-0. This was just reward for the juggernaut Cross who was having an inspired return from long term injury including several immense carries. But Crewe & Nantwich fought back and after a period of pressure deserved got an unconverted try back to leave the half-time score 24-5.

The visitors started the second period in the same vein but lack of numbers and substitutes meant they were unable to cope with the strong runners throughout the Southport team. Dan Cresswell notched up a converted try of his own to extend the lead, finishing off a master class in ball handling with Calum McNeil, before twin brother Ben Cresswell wasn’t to be outdone with a five pointer of his own. The conversion was missed but at 36-5 Southport were sitting pretty the coup-de-gras being a strong finish with tries from the impressive McNeill and Caldwell, Dan Cresswell adding a conversion.

All-in-all a good workout for Southport against a weakened but none the less gallant opposition and it is to the credit of all the Crewe & Nantwich players and coaches that they never gave up and were exceptional in their sportsmanship at the final whistle. The home side will take encouragement from having so many players available at long last as they go into the business-end of the season, all of whom showed encouraging form and great hunger which with commitment to training could bear some fruit.

Southport: Tom Peacock, Chris Cope, Hugh Ellis, Forest Bailey, Ben Cresswell, Jacob McMullen, Zak Critchley, Dan Aindow, Partick MacGuire, Tom Smith, James Smallwood, Danny Arsalanian, Jordan Caldwell, Ben Cross, Dan Cresswell, Nick Greenhalgh, Sam Tarbuck, James Russell, Calum McNeill.

This victory sees Southport progress into the Quarter Final of the Plate, were the draw made on Sunday night has given them the toughest tie possible away to League A side Sandbach next Sunday (17th). Mind you Sandbach did finish bottom, and last year the Junior Colts took them all the way in the final of the Vase played at their ground so with a full compliment there is every chance that League B Southport can acquitt themselves well.

The Widnes match will now be played the following Sunday (24th) so the senior Colts have every incentive to finish the season on a high.