Lymm 21

Birkenhead Park 17

NICK Harris got Lymm off to a flying start with a try after three minutes in their second round NPI Cup match.

A typical surging run on the blind side of a ruck saw the scrum half score near the right corner but John Millachip was unable to add the conversion.

Shortly afterwards quick ball and a well-executed switch of attack looked almost certain to bring a second try but Keir Woods was tackled just short of the line when a pass may have been the better option.

Lymm continued to dominate and were rewarded with a successful Millachip penalty awarded for a high tackle.

Another flowing Lymm moved looked certain to bring a try down the left but a handling error just short of the line allowed Park some respite as the failure to convert their superiority into points caused Lymm to go off the boil.

In the closing minutes of the first half Lymm added to their score when Martin Bower came into the line from full back and gave Woods a scoring pass for a try successfully converted by Millachip.

But their failure to score more points in the first half began to look like a serious problem when, following a series of tap penalties and scrum close to the Lymm line, Park scored an easily converted try close to Lymm's pack.

Lymm's response came through two penalties from Millachip but Birkenhead were allowed to come more and more into the game as the home side wilted.

A penalty took the score to 21-10 and then Park put together their best attack for their winger to score a converted try.

And a 21-17 Lymm were left hanging on to their slender lead rather than coasting to victory in the manner that their first half performance had suggested.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Lymm return to league duty when Bridlington will visit Beechwood for the Thwaites North Division Two match.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.