Appearances and Scorers  20.04.08  NAMES   P   T   G   DG Pts Addison, Andrew 6 0 0 0 0 Andrews, Luke 12 1 0  0   4 Ardrey Nik 1 0 0 0 0 Bell, Jamie 1 0 0 0 0 Berry, Paul 20 14 28 1  113 Blackwell, Chris 4 0 0 0 0 Bright, Mike 16 3 0   0 12 Cole, Jon 1 1 0 0 4 Cosgrove, Ryan 2 1 0 0 4 Dack, John 18 0   0  0  0 Dudley, James 18 1  0  0  4 Dudley, Lynden 10 3  0  0  12 Files, Sam 2 0 0 0 0 Gartside, James 5 5 0 0 20 Hayes, Pete 5 1 0 0 4 Hayes, Rob 6 1 0 0 4 Hunter, Lee 5  1  0  0  4 Kelly, Dave 9 6  0 0  24 Lawley, Stephen 17 16  0  0 64 Leicester, Mike 19  6  0  0 16 Lomax, Matthew 1   0  0  0  0 Maunder, Billy 21  11  2 2  50 McGregor, Bob 16 5 0 0 20 McKean, Chris 18 4 0 0 16 Mellor, Chris 13 8 46 1  125 Merrill, Bob 13 1 0 0 4 Neil, Dave 17  0  0  0  0 O'Neill, Ste 2 1  0  0 4 Rylance, Clint  9 2  0  0 8 Simpson, Andy 7 2 0 0 8 Smith, Neil 8  0  0  0  0 Stephenson, Ian 1 0 0 0 0 Taylor, Lyndon 20 2  0 0  8 Wareing, Mark 15 3 0 0 12 Welch, John 14 5 0 0 20 Whittaker, Lachlan 5 0 0 0 0   NWC DIVISION 5 2007-8 20.04.08 P W D L F A Pts SPRING VIEW 20 18 1 1 582 109 37 WOOLSTON ROVERS 20 16 0 4 527 219 32 MOSS BANK BULLDOGS 20 15 1 4 618 271 31 LEIGH CENTRAL LIONS 20 14 1 5 486 296 29 NEWTON STORM 20 12 1 7 434 308 25 LEYLAND WARRIORS 20 11 0 9 354 269 22 NEW SPRINGS LIONS 20 10 0 10 443 361 20 CHERRY TREE PANTHERS 20 5 1 14 264 517 11 ECCLESTON LIONS 20 3 1 14 226 620 7 BLACKBURN KNIGHTS 20 2 0 18 253 704 4 WEST WARRINGTON IMBRL 20 1 0 19 122 444 2

NWC DIV 3 FIXTURES 2007-8 DATE FIXTURE VENUE RESULT 01 Sept Folly Lane A v Woolston Rovers away 0-18 08 Sept Woolston Rovers v Blackburn Knights home 29-12 15 Sept New Springs Lions v Woolston Rovers away 16-30 22 Sept Woolston Rovers v Newton Storm home 26-24 29 Sept Cherry Tree v Woolston Rovers away 12-32 06 Oct Woolston Rovers v Spring View home 18-24 13 Oct FREE v Woolston Rovers away FREE 20 Oct Woolston Rovers v Eccleston Lions home 42-16 27 Oct Leigh Central v Woolston Rovers away 12-30 03 Nov Woolston Rovers v Warrington IMBRL home 18-0 10 Nov Woolston Rovers v Moss Bank Bulldogs home 6-18 17 Nov Saddleworth Rangers v Woolston Rovers (Cup) away 4-37 24 Nov Moss Bank Bulldogs v Woolston Rovers away 24-10 01 Dec Blackburn Knights v Woolston Rovers away 4-66 08 Dec Woolston Rovers v New Springs home P-P 15 Dec Newton Storm v Woolston Rovers away 0-18 05 Jan Woolston Rovers v Cherry Tree home 58-0 12 Jan Woolston Rovers v Glazebury Broncos (Cup) away 20-16 19 Jan Spring View v Woolston Rovers away  P-P 26 Jan Leyland Warriors v Woolston Rovers home 2-18 02 Feb Eccleston Lions v Woolston Rovers away 12-30 09 Feb Woolston Rovers v Golborne Parkside A (Cup) home 18-0 16 Feb FREE v Woolston Rovers away 23 Feb Woolston Rovers  v Leigh Central home 20-0 01 Mar Woolston Rovers v Adlington Rangers home 28-14 08 Mar Woolston Rovers v New Springs Lions home 22-06 15 Mar Blackpool Scorpions v Woolston Rovers (Cup QF) away 18-16 22 Mar Woolston Rovers v Leyland Warriors home 24-20 05 Apr Spring View Lions v Woolston Rovers away 17-10

05.04.08 - Spring View 17-10 Woolston Rovers

Woolston knew from the start that they needed a victory in their last game of the season in order to cement their promotion hopes, anything less and they would need other results to go their way. It was always going to be an up-hill battle with Spring View having the best defensive record in the league.

Woolston came out of the blocks strongly while it was Spring View that appeared un-naturally nervous, giving away silly penalties. The deadlock was broke on 15 minutes when Berry made a break and looked to be going in for a try. The ball was ripped out and Maunder pounced on the loose ball to score. Berry converted to put Woolston in the lead. For the next 15 minutes the play swung from one end of the pitch to the other. Spring View then drew level with a try in the corner, scored from a kick through and a touch line conversion to even the score. As the half drew to a close Spring View had a player sin binned and while he was off the park Woolston extended their lead with Welch bursting through a tackle to score, giving Woolston a 6-10 lead at half time.

Spring View came out in the second half and immediately took the game to Woolston. The Rovers scrambled to defend their line from wave after wave of sustained pressure. View couldn’t break Woolston’s resolve until awarded a penalty in front of the posts  for holding down to narrow the gap to 8 – 10. Woolston’s attack couldn’t break through the strong Spring View defence, but with 20 minutes remaining Spring View broke the Woolston line and scored under the posts, an easy conversion putting them 14-10 in the lead. A further penalty 10 minutes later brought the game to 16-10 and Woolston worked hard to try to strike back. With time running out Spring View scored a drop goal to seal their win.

Leicester was named as Woolston’s man of the match, but strong performances also came from Berry, Welch and Hayes. Woolston now have to watch for Spring View’s result against Moss Bank in two week’s time to see whether their final position will be second or third in the league.

Woolston Rovers team:

Dave Neil, Mike Bright, John Welch, Pete Hayes, Steve Lawley, Billy Maunder, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Chris Blackwell, Lyndon Taylor, Mark Wareing, James Dudley, Bob Merrill, Lynden Dudley, Nik Ardrey, John Dack, Clint Rylance.

22.03.08 - Woolston Rovers 24-20 Leyland Warriors

Woolston Rovers made life difficult for themselves as they took on Leyland Warriors in the last home game of the season. Leyland were the first to score as Woolston gave away a string of penalties, mainly for lying on, giving Leyland easy field position which ended with  try out wide and a 0-4 lead. Just five minutes later and Welch was shown a red card for a careless high tackle as a bizarre string of events saw Woolston reduced to eleven men. With Welch already off the field, play resumed only for Berry to be sinbinned for an infringement at the play of the ball. A frustrated comment as he walked towards the touchline saw the ref brandish the red card for the second time in two minutes and reduce the Rovers to eleven men for the duration of the game. Both players trudged back to the changing rooms as play restarted. Woolston regrouped and had to work hard to keep a buoyant Leyland away from the try line. On the half hour mark Woolston went in front as Leicester barged through to score. Maunder kicked the conversion to put Woolston in the front at 6-4. It was short lived however as Leyland charged back down field and scored a converted try between the posts to put them back in the lead. But with half time approaching Lawley picked up a dropped ball and darted towards the try line only to be stopped short. Merrill made a drive and passed to the supporting Hayes who crossed to level the score at 10-10 at half time.

Ten minutes into the second half saw Woolston take the lead as Rylance drove through the defence, twisting in the tackle to score. The game swung from end to end as each team pushed for the advantage and Woolston were further disadvantaged as full back Neil left the field with an injury. With Leyland on the attack, Lawley pinched the ball and sprinted down field only to be stopped with a high tackle that saw a Leyland player sent to the sin bin. Woolston moved the ball across the field and saw L Dudley touch down only to be judged in touch. Leyland struck back with two quick tries against a tiring Rovers team putting them in the lead by 14-20 with ten minutes left. Having worked hard for so long Woolston weren’t going to bow out quietly and were rewarded for their grit and determination when Leicester crossed for his second try of the afternoon and Maunder converted to level the scores. With time ticking away Maunder’s drop kick attempt ricocheted off a Leyland player and Maunder collected the ball, chipped over the defence. Leyland’s defending player knocked on on his own line, Maunder had followed up and was in position to touch the ball down to give Woolston a well deserved, hard earned victory.

Leicester, with his strong driving runs and two tries, was named as Woolston’s man of the match but it was really a gritty, determined team effort from 15 heroes! The last match of the season will take place on 5^th April against Spring View.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Lynden Dudley, John Welch, Pete Hayes, Ste Lawley, Clint Rylance, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Billy Maunder, Lyndon Taylor,Mark Wareing, Luke Andrews, Chris Blackwell, John Dack, James Dudley, Mike Bright.

08.03.08 - Woolston Rovers 22-6 New Springs Lion

Woolston Rovers continued on winning form as they took on New Springs Lions at Bennetts recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon. It took just ten minutes before Woolston posted their first points of the afternoon. After some early pressure player/ coach Rylance barged through a melee of players to score to the left of the posts. Berry converted. Four minutes later Berry made a break and passed inside to Maunder who turned inside and sprinted to score behind the posts. Again Berry converted. Woolston were on a roll, and attacked the New Springs line constantly. On the twenty minute mark Bright crossed the line to score and Berry converted to give Woolston an 18 point lead. As half time approached New Springs made a break and sprinted down the wing to score in the corner. This was converted and brought the half  to a close at 18-6.

The skies opened for the start of the second half and the wet conditions made ball retention an issue! The heavy conditions saw players tire quickly and the speed of the first half was lost as players started to drop as the bangs and knocks took their toll. Woolston were temporarily reduced to 12 men when McGregor was sin binned for persistent holding down in the tackle. New Springs couldn’t take advantage, but Woolston pressed on and were rewarded with the final try of the afternoon when Man of the Match Berry broke through and weaved his way through the defence to dive over the line, bringing the final score to 22-6.

Next week Woolston are away to Blackpool Scorpions in the NWC Cup.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Andy Simpson, John Welch, Ste Lawley, Lynden Dudley, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Billy Maunder, Lyndon Taylor, Luke Andrews, Mike Bright, Dave Kelly, Bob Merrill, Bob McGregor, John Dack, Clint Rylance.

On a blustery afternoon, Woolston met Adlington Rangers from Division One in the 3^rd Round of the NWC Challenge Cup. The first 20 minutes of the game were deadlocked but Woolston had several opportunities to score and worked hard in defence to keep their line secure.

Adlington were the first to score when a handling error gave them good position in the Woolston half and they drove their way over the line for an unconverted try. But Woolston struck straight back with a try for Lynden Dudley to level the scores. Ten minutes later Mellor cut through the middle of the field to put Maunder through to score a try under the posts. Mellor converted. Five minutes later Woolston repeated the feat with Mellor tearing through the Adlington defence, this time putting Berry in for a try. Mellor converted to bring the half time score to 16-4.

A bad tempered start to the second half lead to Woolston losing Addison to the sin bin. Two minutes later Adlington crossed for their second unconverted try. Woolston struck back straight away as Man of the Match Chris Mellor swept through to score a try in the corner, converting it himself to increase Woolston’s lead to 22-8. Play became scrappy in places as the teams fought for supremacy with silly penalties to both sides. Quick hands and good support play saw Woolston increase their lead with try for Simpson, converted by Mellor. A series of penalties lead to Adlington scoring a consolation try in the last minutes of the game, but it wasn’t enough to dampen the Woolston spirits as they go through to the quarter finals.

Woolston Rovers team:

Dave Neil, Lynden Dudley, Pete Hayes, Andy Addison, Chris McKean, Chris Mellor, Billy Maunder, Chris Blackwell, Luke Andrews, Bob McGregor, Mike Bright, James Dudley, Bob Merrill, Paul Berry, Rob Hayes, Lyndon Taylor, Andy Simpson.

23.02.08 - Woolston Rovers 20-0 Leigh Central

A sad occasion was the backdrop for Woolston’s best performance of the season so far. A minute’s silence in respect of club stalwart Brian Dutton was the precursor to this titanic battle that could have a huge bearing on the season’s end.

The first half hour saw both teams cancel each other out as huge hits and solid tackling kept both attacks at bay. It was a game played at frantic pace, switching from end to end as each side protected it’s own line.

The stalemate was broke as Woolston crossed for three ties in the last ten minutes of the half. Ste Lawley finished off a sweeping attack with a try in the corner to post the first points of the afternoon. Just three minutes later and Woolston capitalised on a Leigh error as they coughed up the ball just meters from their own line and straight into the arms of Bob McGregor who barged through to score. Berry converted. Just minutes later Berry was on the end of another attacking run to score in the corner and bring the half to a close.

Leigh could have been forgiven had they come out with their heads down after their hard work in the first half went unrewarded, but it was quite the opposite. The second half was a repeat of the first, with both sides locking horns and play switching from one end to the other at pace. Man of the Match Dave Neil had an outstanding game at full back and his kick returns gained big yards for Woolston each time. Leigh came close on several occasions but the awesome Woolston defence held solid. As time was ticking away Woolston increased their lead with Welch touching down. Leigh’s frustrations took over and two players were sinbinned for dissent before Berry kicked a penalty to bring the final score to 20-0 and a very satisfying victory.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Ste Lawley, Andy Addison, John Welch, Chris McKean, Paul Berry, Billy Maunder, Mike Leicester, Clint Rylance, Lyndon Taylor, Mark Wareing, James Dudley, Bob McGregor, Bob Merrill, Mike Bright, Neil Smith, Rob Hayes.

02.02.08 - Eccleston Lions 12-30 Woolston Rovers

On a bright but bitterly cold afternoon Woolston took to the field with several changes to the previous week's team. In a game that was played at pace it was Woolston who stamped their authority as they took a 22-0 lead into half time. The first try of the afternoon came as Leicester barged his way through a crowd of players and force the ball down on the line. Berry converted to give Woolston a 6-0 lead. Five minutes later and Woolston increased their lead when McKean sprinted over for an unconverted try. With Woolston's defence pegging Eccleston back and they were further rewarded when McGregor scored between the posts and the first half came to a close with Lawley diving in at the corner. Berry converted both tries to bring the score to 22-0.

Eccleston came out all the stronger in the second half and came close to scoring on several occasions, but Woolston defended their line well and kept them out. Woolston then struck back. McKean had a try wiped out as he was adjudged to have lost the ball over the line but just two minutes later Maunder kicked on the last and gained another set of six for Woolston which Leicester finished off with his second try of the afternoon. Eccleston then mounted a comeback and pressured the Woolston line but the defence held and Woolston came back up-field. With Woolston on the attack Eccleston intecepted the ball and sprinted 60m to score a converted try between the posts. Woolston came straight back but Hayes' try was a double movement and didn't count. Eccleston countered with an attack straight up the middle and their second try in five minutes to bring the score to 12-26. With the game drawing to a close Woolston settled down, finishing strongly and bringing the game to a close with a try by Andrews.

A strong performance by the forwards again this week, with James Dudley being named man of the match by the opposition.

Woolston Rovers Team: Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Andy Simpson, John Welch, Ste Lawley, Billy Maunder, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Clint Rylance, Lyndon Taylor, James Dudley, Mark Wareing, Bob McGregor, Luke Andrews, Lynden Dudley, John Dack, Pete Hayes.

26.01.08 - Leyland Warriors 2-18 Woolston Rovers

This was an important game for both sides with Woolston taking the spoils. Leyland took the lead after 17 minutes with a penalty, but Woolston struck back straight away with the first try of the afternoon for Welch forcing his way over in the corner. The score remained 2-4 at half time. The tussle continued in the second half with the rest of the scoring happening in the last fifteen minutes. Kelly forced his way over as Woolston took control. Hayes crossed the line twice, but the first time was deemed held up over the line so only one counted. Maunder finished off the scoring with a try on 80 minutes which Mellor converted on a day were the cold wind made kicking extremely difficult to bring the final score to 2-18.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Ian Stephenson, John Welch, Ste Lawley, Chris Mellor, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Billy Maunder, Lyndon Taylor, James Dudley, Lee Hunter, Dave Kelly, Luke Andrews, Bob McGregor, John Dack, Rob Hayes.

12.01.08 - Glazebury Broncos 16-20 Woolston Rovers

Woolston Rovers gave up home advantage for the NWC Challenge Cup 2^nd round clash following heavy rain during the week. Division 5 Woolston were very much the underdogs in this local derby against Division 3 opposition, and as friend met friend on the pitch there had been plenty of banter in the build up.

The opening stages had both teams testing each other out, probing into the opposition half and testing the defence. Three tries in five minutes brought the game alive. It was Woolston who struck first with the forwards working their way down the pitch and Man of the Match Mike Leicester barging through several defenders to place the ball on the line. Mellor converted to give Woolston a 6-0 lead. From the restart Glazebury struck back and levelled the scores, going in for a converted try at the left corner. Woolston came straight back, with Ste Lawley scorching down the right wing to score an unconverted try and put Woolston back in front. Twenty minutes later and Lawley was in for his second try in the corner. Glazebury players appealed that he had stepped into touch but as neither the referee or the ‘touch judge’ had seen anything amiss the try was given and Woolston went in ahead at half time 6-14.

The tussle continued in the second half with the tensions building and tempers starting to fray. Maunder was sin binned and Glazebury took full advantage going in to pull the score back to 10-14. This spurred Glazebury on and with just seven minutes left on the clock the Broncos went in for a converted try to take the lead. With time running out, Woolston worked their way back up field and a superbly judged kick from Mellor bounced in goal straight into the arms of Lawley who grounded it for his hat trick. Mellor kicked the conversion to bring the final score to 16-20, much to the delight of the Rovers supporters.

Mellor marshalled his players around the field exquisitely, and the team responded with a superb all round performance. Leicester was named as Woolston’s man of the match in what was very much a team performance.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Andy Addison, John Welch, Ste Lawley, Chris Mellor, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Billy Maunder, Lyndon Taylor, Mark Wareing, Lee Hunter, Bob McGregor, Mike Bright, James Dudley, John Dack, Rob Hayes.

05.01.08 - Woolston Rovers 58-0 Cherry Tree Panthers

Cherry Tree made the early running on a bitterly cold afternoon at Bennett’s Rec but couldn’t break the strong Woolston defence. The first points of the afternoon came as Cherry Tree were attacking the Woolston line. Bright intercepted a pass 15m from his own line and turned defence into attack. Mellor chipped the ball over, it fell to Berry who passed it back inside for Mellor to score between the posts. Mellor converted and Woolston took a 6-0 lead. Ten minutes later and it was James Dudley who retrieved the ball from a Cherry Tree attack and launched another Woolston attack. Neil carried the ball over half way and Woolston finished the move with McGregor crossing the line. Mellor converted. As half time approached Woolston crossed again with Wareing racing through to score and with Mellor again converting to bring the half time score to 18-0.

A try fest in the second half saw Woolston storm to an impressive victory. Lawley set the ball rolling with an unconverted try within five minutes of the restart. Cherry Tree responded with a short kickoff that brought them close to the line but Bright intercepted and raced 70m before passing inside for Lynden Dudley to score between the posts. Three minutes later and Dudley crossed again in the corner. Mellor converted both to bring the score to 34-0. This signalled the start of the Woolston rout, with four tries in ten minutes bringing the game to an early close. Berry swept through the dejected Cherry Tree line to score two tries followed by one each for Merrill and James Dudley. Mellor converted all four to make the final score 58-0.

Man of the match was Mike Leicester whose storming runs were instrumental to a performance that was controlled by Mellor, Berry and Maunder.

Woolston Rovers team:

Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Neil Smith, Mike Bright, Ste Lawley, Chris Mellor, Paul Berry, Mike Leicester, Billy Maunder, Lyndon Taylor, Mark Wareing, James Dudley, Bob McGregor, Lynden Dudley, Bob Merrill, John Dack, Rob Hayes.

01.12.07 - Blackburn Knights 4-66 Woolston Rovers

Woolston started brightly and when the Blackburn defence failed to field a kick it looked as though they were in for an early try. Gartside grounded the loose ball, but the referee judged that Blackburn had grounded the ball first and awarded a drop out.

Woolston finally got on the scoreboard on the ten minute mark. From a scrum in their own half the ball was fed out to the left. Berry found a gap and sprinted through the defence to score under the posts. Mellor converted. Five minutes later and Woolston again scored following a scrum with Berry again touching down behind the posts. Mellor converted to bring the score to 12-0. Four minutes later Kelly broke through and sprinted to the line. An inside pass saw Maunder add to the Woolston score. Mellor again converted to bring the score to 18-0. Blackburn launched their own attack, but a kick through went straight into the arms of Kelly who sprinted the length of the field to score under the posts. Two minutes later and Kelly was in again with Mellor converting both to bring the score to 30-0.In the last five minutes of the half Gartside scored twice to dishearten the Knights further. Blackburn again failed to field a high ball and it bounced into Gartside’s arms allowing him to push his way over the line. Then just three minutes later Gartside stepped past the tiring defence to score again. Mellor converted the latter to bring the half time score to 40-0 to Rovers.

The second half started off with a touch of controversy. Woolston kicked off and the ball bounced 5 metres infield before crossing the line but the referee decided it had gone out on the full and awarded a penalty to Blackburn. Several more penalties had Blackburn camped in the Woolston half and it was only a matter of time before they scored. Maunder was then sent to the sin bin for dissent. Woolston had to recover their composure and they did so with Kelly crossing for his hat trick followed within 5 minutes by a try for Taylor. Three tries in five minutes brought the game to an end. Man of the match Kelly made another break, weaving his way through he defence before passing inside to the supporting Maunder who crossed for a try. Mellor converted to bring the score 4 – 56. A strong run from Gartside saw him  cross for his hat trick before McGregor barged over the line for the final try of the afternoon. With Mellor converting two of the three tries the final score was 4-66.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Paul Berry, Lynden Dudley, Mike Bright, Andy Simpson, Steve Lawley, Chris Mellor, Lachlan Whittaker, Bob McGregor, Lyndon Taylor, Sam Files, James Gartside, James Dudley, Dave Kelly, Billy Maunder, Chris McKean, Clint Rylance, John Dack.

24.11.07 - Moss Bank Bulldogs 24-10 Woolston Rovers

Woolston’s depleted team lacked a few key members as they took on Moss Bank for the second time in two weeks. With sickness and injury in the camp, Woolston’s struggled to field 17 players on what was originally a ‘free’ weekend – not the best preparation.

With Moss Bank scoring after 10 minutes it looked as though Woolston were in for a tough afternoon. Just five minutes later and Mellor passed the ball from centre field to Maunder and then on to Berry who put Bright in at the corner to arrow the gap to 6-4. For 20 minutes both teams battled it out with strong defences holding, but then a kick over the top from Moss Bank saw a wicked bounce put the ball straight into the arms of the chasing player and them score to the side of the posts. The conversion brought the half time score to 12-4.

A slow start for Woolston’s defence saw Moss Bank add a quick converted try to increase their tally to 18-4. For the next half hour both sides battled away without adding any score, with handling errors creeping up in the wet conditions. Welch crossed for Woolston but the try was wiped out by the referee. Maunder then ripped in a one on one tackle just 20m from the Moss Bank line. The ball was passed across the face of the goal and Kelly dived over the line. Mellor converted to narrow the gap. With the game drawing to a close, a handling error gave possession back to Moss Bank who took full advantage with a sprint to the line to score another converted try bringing the final score to 24-10.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Paul Berry, John Welch, Mike Bright, Chris Mellor, Billy Maunder, Mike Leicester, Clint Rylance, Lyndon Taylor, Bob Merrill, James Dudley, Dave Kelly, Lee Hunter, John Dack, Sam Files, Lynden Dudley.

17.11.07 - Saddleworth Rangers 4-37 Woolston Rovers (NWC Challenge Cup R1)

10.11.07 - Woolston Rovers 6-18 Moss Bank Bulldogs

Woolston came crashing back down earth on Saturday as Moss Bank Bulldogs knocked them off top spot. Moss Bank overcame injury worries and from the start launched a series of attacks on the Woolston line but handling errors kept them scoreless. The breakthrough came on fifteen minutes and it was Woolston on the attack. A cross field kick on the last tackle was fielded by Alex Rigby and the Moss Bank winger sprinted 90m to score a converted try unchallenged under the posts. On the next Woolston set a loose pass almost saw the winger repeat the feat, only for him to be caught on the wing. Woolston were penalised for rolling him into touch after the tackle was complete and further pressure was applied to the Woolston line but the Rovers defence survived. The next try came following a stoppage for an injured player. With Woolston on the attack a long pass was knocked on and Moss Bank collected the loose ball and sprinted away to score in the corner. With five minutes to half time Moss Bank struck again. With Woolston dropping off tackles across the field Moss Bank winger Rigby went in for his second in the left corner to bring the half time score to 0-14.

Shell-shocked Woolston rang the changes at half time and tightened up both their defence and attack. Moss Bank weren’t going to give up their lead and the Rovers struggled to break the Bulldogs’ defence. With both sides’ defences working overtime tempers frayed at times but common sense prevailed and the game continued. Strong running from Leicester and Addison gave Woolston good field position and Mellor varied the attack with some deft touches but they just couldn’t break through. With 15 minutes to go Rigby raced over for his hat trick to bring the score to 0-18 in Moss Bank’s favour. Just five minutes from time, Woolston were awarded a penalty as Moss Bank were caught off side and Mellor touched down to spare Rovers’ blushes. He converted his own try to bring the final score to 6-18.

Mike Leicester was named as man of the match by the opposition.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Paul Berry, Dave Neil, James Gartside, John Welch, Steve Lawley, Chris Mellor, Billy Maunder, Mike Leicester, Lachlan Whittaker, John Dack, James Dudley, Andy Addison, Bob Merrill, Mark Wareing, Bob McGregor, Lyndon Taylor, Neil Smith.

27.10.07 - Leigh Central Lions 12-30 Woolston Rovers

Woolston took the spoils in this top of the table clash at The Marshes on a drab Saturday afternoon that was a stark contrast to the entertainment displayed.

It was Leigh that took the early lead with a penalty kick on ten minutes but Woolston struck back immediately. A break from Addison gave Woolston good field position and Mellor chipped the ball over the Leigh defence straight into the arms of Lawley who sprinted to the line and back under the posts to score the first try of the afternoon. Mellor converted to put Woolston in front. With both sides pushing to control the game it was Woolston that increased their lead. A kick through from Maunder led to a knock on and with Leigh camped on their own line Leicester barged over from close range. Mellor converted to bring the score to 2-12. Leigh pushed to get back in the game and had chances ruled out by the referee before they swung the ball across the field and created a gap for an unconverted try. Woolston had Mellor held up over the line before Leigh made a break only for McKean to put in a superb cover tackle to stop what looked like a definite try. Woolston went into half time 6-12 up.

Woolston increased their lead just five minutes into the second half when a break from Kelly saw the ball pass through Whittaker and Mellor before Welch sprinted through to score behind the posts. Mellor converted. Leigh struck back and after being held up over the line were able to score at the next play to narrow the gap. As frustration started to show Leigh had a player sent to the bin for dissent and Woolston increased their lead with two quick drop goals from Mellor and Maunder. Addison received a short ball from Mellor as he burst through the Leigh defence. He passed inside to Berry who dived between the posts. Mellor converted to complete a costly ten minutes for Leigh. With the clock ticking away Mellor made a break and passed outside to Lawley who completed the afternoon’s scoring with an unconverted try in the corner to give Woolston a 12-30 victory.

Mike Leicester was named as man of the match for his strong running, but this was a whole team effort.

Woolston RoversTeam:

Paul Berry, Chris McKean, James Gartside, John Welch, Steve Lawley, Chris Mellor, Billy Maunder, Mike Leicester, Lachlan Whittaker, Neil Smith, James Dudley, Andy Addison, Dave Kelly, Lee Hunter, Bob McGregor, Bob Merrill, John Dack.

20.10.07 - Woolston Rovers 42-16 Eccleston Lions

The opening ten minutes saw both teams test each other with end to end battles to get the scoreboard rolling. It was Woolston who got the break through. Eccleston knocked on whilst stealing ball and from the resulting scrum Bright passed out wide to Lawley who went in at the corner for the first try of the afternoon. Mellor converted. The early lead didn’t last long and just ten minutes later Eccleston broke away to score under the posts to level the score. Within five minutes they struck again to go 6-12 up and stun the Woolston spectators. On the half hour Leicester made a break gaining good field position. Mellor received the ball, chipped over the defence and collected the ball to score under the posts, kicking the goal himself to level the scores once more. On the stroke of half time the ball was passed across to the wing, Mellor passing the ball to O’Neill who scored to make the half time score 16-12 to the Rovers.

Woolston started the second half with a try at the side of the posts by Waring, and almost immediately repeated the feat when Smith made a break and debutant James Gartside stormed through to score under the posts. Both tries were converted by Mellor to give Woolston a 28-12 lead. Eccleston rallied, but it was Woolston who put the game to bed with two unconverted tries out wide from Lawley who claimed his hat trick. Eccleston didn’t give up and were rewarded with a try in the corner to bring the score to 36-16. Woolston’s Lawley then went over for his fouth try of the afternoon and Mellor converted  to bring the game to a close at 42-16. Man of the match for Woolston Rovers was new recruit James Gartside, with fellow debutant Lachlan Whittaker also having a good game.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Chris McKean, Dave Neil, Mike Bright, James Gartside, Steve Lawley, Chris Mellor, Billy Maunder, Mike Leicester, Luke Andrews, Lyndon Taylor, Mark Wareing, Neil Smith, Bob Merrill, Lachlan Whittaker, Bob McGregor, Ste O’Neill, John Dack.

Woolston Rovers ended their unbeaten run with a disappointing defeat to close rivals Spring View. The Wigan outfit started off well but Woolston were the first on the scoreboard as Lawley fielded Mellor’s cross-field kick to touch down in the corner. Mellor converted to give Woolston a 6-0 lead.

Woolston had to weather almost fifteen minutes of sustained pressure before Spring View posted their first points with an unconverted try in the corner. The Rovers struck back quickly when Neil fielded a kick to send Kelly on a jinking run. Mellor chipped the ball over the defensive line and reclaimed it to put Berry in under the posts. Mellor converted and Woolston stretched their lead to 12-4. Woolston’s handling errors gave Spring View the possession they needed to come back and they spent the end of the first half camped on the Woolston line, posting three tries in a ten minute spell to go in at half time with a 12-20 lead.

The second half started with an altercation which lead to a Woolston penalty. Mellor took control and scored an individual try under the posts which he converted himself narrowing the gap to 18-20. Spring View were held up over the line but it wasn’t long before they scored an unconverted try in the corner. Handling errors galore meant that Woolston struggled to gain any momentum and had to work overtime on defence. With five minutes to go Woolston looked to have scored when McGregor stretched out to place the ball over the line but the referee ruled that it was a double movement meaning that the final score remained 18-24 to Spring View.

Man of the Match for Woolston was Dave Kelly with Stephen Sutcliffe best for Spring View.

Woolston Rovers Team:

Dave Neil, Chris McKean, Paul Berry, Andy Addison, Steve Lawley, Chris Mellor, Billy Maunder, Mike Leicester, Luke Andrews, Neil Smith, Mark Wareing, James Dudley, Dave Kelly, Lyndon Taylor, Mike Bright, Bob Merrill, Bob McGregor.

22.09.07 - Woolston Rovers 26-24 Newton Storm