Match report: Kirkby Lonsdale Rugby face pre-lockdown team against Lymm

The match took place on Monday, September 6 at the Lymm club ground.

Lymm ran out with almost the same pre-Lockdown team.

Kirkby were less fortunate with retirements of a number of long-time key players alongside early season unavailability's seriously affecting the 1stXV squad and things weren’t helped when the influential back row player David Cooper-Dunn was also side-lined when he picked up an injury in training.

The game kicked off on the artificial pitch and in late summer sunshine and at the end of the first quarter it was 0 – 0 in an evenly contested 50/50 match with each side having chances but no success.

The deadlock was broken with 32 minutes on the clock when Lymm pressure created a try by the posts converted by full back Cormack Nolan and it was 7 – 0.

The 50/50 status quo was resumed until the 4th minute of time added on in the first half when slick handling and offloading put Lymm in by the left corner flag, Nolan again on target with the conversion which also summoned the whistle for half time with the score at 14 – 0.

There hadn’t really been much in it up to that point but Lymm made a blistering start to the second half running in three converted tries in the first ten minutes and at 35 – 0 the game was effectively over.

Lymm’s sixth converted try extended this to 42 – 0 still in the 3rd quarter of the game before the Kirkby Skipper Ben Walker put his side on the board when he shimmied through to score to the right of the posts, his conversion making it 42 – 7.

It stayed that way until Lymm had the final say when in the second minute of injury time their pack drove over in the corner.

The excellent Nolan maintaining his 100% record with the kick from the touchline to make the final score 49 – 7.

But to end on a high there is talent in the squad although many have to adapt to the pace of rugby in the Northern Premiership and Ben Walker also had a 100% conversion record in the game.