Keswick 2nd XV 24 - West Park St Helens 2nd XV 5

Saturday saw Keswick 2nd XV play their first County Courier Services Division 2 North League game of the season, at home to West Park St Helens 2nd XV, on a bright and calm day at Davidson Park. Having given away a penalty with the first contact of the game for offside, the Keswick pack soon proved their worth in the line-out. The young Keswick team were facing a generally older and larger opposition and were able to spoil the visitors’ throw in at this and a number of subsequent line-outs.

Scrums were a slightly different matter as the weight difference told and a quick heel by Keswick was necessary to ensure good possession. An early attack on the left by Keswick was thwarted when the tackled player failed to release but Keswick soon had their own penalty on the West Park 22 which was was kicked to touch and from the subsequent line-out the ball was run right for Scott Maxwell to open the scoring on 9 minutes with an unconverted try for a 5-0 lead.

The Keswick backs soon showed their running skills, making good ground against the West Park backs but the home forwards found containing their larger opposition more of a challenge as weight often told in the mauls and drives. A period of entertaining play ensued with Keswick running the ball well but held out by the final defence and the West Park retaliating, mainly through their forwards. Keswick’s running game proved effective on 17 minutes as from a tackle on the West Park 22 Joe Quail picked up the ball to make a straight run for the line and when tackled passed the ball to Danny Price who touched down under the posts, the try converted by Lewis Thompson for a 12-0 lead.

West Park responded well by nearing the Keswick line and were only denied at the last by a knock forward, allowing Keswick to clear. Technical infringements in mid field by Keswick gifted penalty possession to West Park but their kicker was unable to make much progress for them. However, they did use their scrum advantage to good effect, running from the back and only a well marshalled defence kept them at bay. A take and drive from the line-out by West Park was again defeated in the Keswick 22, the home side then getting to the West Park 22 before being stopped.

Keswick’s ascendancy in the line-out allowed them to kick through when West Park lost their own line-out throw in on their 22, but the defence were first to the ball and a 22 dropout resulted. On the stroke of half time a Keswick penalty in front of the posts that was a guaranteed 3 points was tapped instead. The ball was dummied left but run right for Price to make a solo break and score under the posts for Thompson to convert to make it 19-0 at half time.

Whatever the West Park coach said at half time worked as their defence stepped up a gear after the break. Unfortunately their tactic of tackling the upper body to resulted in some high tackles, which saw them penalised a number of times. On 8 minutes a Keswick attack was stopped a few metres out and a fracas ensued which ended with a Keswick player sent off for throwing a punch. It was an isolated incident but whatever the cause there is no excuse for violence.

West Park made good progress into the Keswick half and a pass interception when Keswick had regained possession almost allowed the visitors to score but again Keswick held out and the backs made some more excellent runs but the visitors’ defence continued to hold out until the 28th minute when a run on the right saw Quail take possession and score a try for a 24-0 lead, the conversion attempt drifting left.

Play see-sawed between the sides with most attacks being thwarted around the midfield until a couple of penalties to West Park saw them camped on the Keswick line where their largest forwards were used to batter to the line. The first 2 attempts were held up but on the third they managed to get the ball across the line for an unconverted try to bring the final score to 24-5, the whistle going immediately.

Saturday sees Keswick 2nd XV travel to play Leyland Warriors 1st XV. They lost their first game but earned a bonus point for scoring 4 tries so are in 7th place, with Keswick on 5 points in 3rd place. It is still early season but it’s good to start with a win.