Shrewsbury - 20 Crewe & Nantwich - 8

CREWE & Nantwich were forced to make several changes from their selected side in their opening fixture, a friendly against Shrewsbury on Saturday with two players having been injured in the club's trial match during midweek.

Shrewsbury proved to be a compact well organised side who achieved promotion to Midlands West 1 last season, with their two centres looking especially dangerous.But despite the seemingly comprehensive score line Crewe were always in with a chance with at least two tries by the Shropshire side being scored with the Crewe defence asleep.

In the first half line-outs ended with tries, one being well released with the scrum-half darting through at the front but the second was inexcusable with a forward just barging his way through to score.

Shrewsbury's third try came from an orthodox three-quarters move to make the half time score 15-0. Up to then Crewe were certainly disjointed but the second half saw everyone settling down with newcomers Simon Griffiths and James Brewerton beginning to fit in.

The forwards began to exert pressure, rewarded by a Brewerton penalty goal. Carl Widdowson at fly-half made an exciting break which really should have ended with a try but the resulting 5 metre scrum saw the old Crewe shove to win the ball for winger Keith Raftery to go over in the corner. At 15-8 Crewe were well in touch but then a lapse in concentration proved costly when a quickly taken tapped penalty saw Shrewsbury clinch the game with a try.

Certainly many positive signs for the new season bearing in mind the rather fragmented pre-season training with many players on holiday but the side will have to settle quickly for next Saturday sees them at home in a league fixture against Anselmians (kick off 3pm) a side they only narrowly defeated by firstly a single point and in the return fixture, a single try.

The 2nds lost at home to Shrewsbury by 25-8 with the 3rds going down away by 22pts to 14 with Crewe tries scored by Dave Smith and Keith Bradford, Dave Prosser converting both. The 4ths lost at home to Newcastle.

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