Garstang RUFC 80 Port Sunlight 10: First XV storm to an emphatic victory

At the start of the season the senior teams welcomed several of the junior colts into their ranks.

Initially, only a couple of them made it into the first XV but as the season has gone on, more of them have progressed into the senior sides.

The benefit of this has been obvious but it has also turned younger players like Joel Dugdale and Freddie Hewitt into senior players despite the fact they are only in their early 20s.

With all the talk of youngsters, it was ironic that veteran player-coach Gavin Barton opened the scoring after two minutes with a sniping score to make it 7-0.

The rest of the first half was a blur as Garstang scored a further six tries as Will Bisby, Dugdale, Lawson Whittaker and Leighton Thompson went over the whitewash.

Duncan Lambert converted five of the seven tries to leave the score 45-0 in Garstang’s favour at half-time.

After the youthful exuberance of the opening period, normal service was resumed as Andy Tissingh and Ainsley Pye both ran in scores to extend the lead to 59-0.

Port Sunlight had barely had a chance to score at this point but a misplaced Garstang kick led to an excellent try for the visitors to reduce the arrears to 66-5.

Another Garstang try followed before Port Sunlight scored their second of the afternoon.

However, it was Garstang who had the final word with two late tries concluding a comprehensive victory.

Garstang are back in action on Saturday when they travel to play Eccles (3pm).

Garstang: Nicholls, Corless, Miller, Whittaker, Johnston, Tissingh, Pye, Kerr, Barton, Lambert, Thompson, Dugdale, Bisby, Hewitt, Bendall. Replacements: Everest, Roskell, Hindle.