Millom Rugby League Football Club

Millom 16 - Normanton 10

Millom	Normanton

Tries:	Tries:
A Dixon, S Errington	A Greaves, C Lewis

Goals:	Goals:
P Evans 4	J Thompson

Match Reports:

Evening Mail

MILLOM won the battle of the two undefeated teams to go storming back to the top of Division Two.

Normanton took the lead on five minutes when winger Andrew Greaves scored a hotly-disputed try in the corner. Millom responded by putting pressure on the visitors’ line, but had tries by Nathan Mossop and Graham Lupton disallowed.

The home side had more bad luck when influential forward Paul Lupton retired with a thigh strain after only 17 minutes. A Paul Evans penalty narrowed the gap. From the re-start Millom attacked again. A neat pass from Ross Brooks sent the hard-working Sean Errington in for a converted try.

Both sides were showing the form that had given them unblemished records. But on the half-hour a mistake by the Yorkshire side saw Midge Dixon scoop up a dropped pass and go 75 yards for a try that Paul Evans converted. That score put the Maroons 14-4 in front.

The visitors fought back but the Millom side showed why they have the best defensive record in all three divisions, substitute Craig Wilson leading the way in a lively pack of forwards.

Defences were on top in the second half and several questionable refereeing decisions put Millom on the back foot. A converted try by Chris Lewis brought the scores to 14-10. A touchline penalty from Evans with 10 minutes to go proved to be the only further score. Prop forward Wilson did crash over between the posts, but once again it was ruled out by the referee.

The game ended with the visitors’ line under siege. This was another splendid team effort from Millom. After a two-match lay-off with injury, Wilson took both man-of-the-match awards.

League Express:

Millom won the battle of the only two undefeated sides in the competition to take over top spot in division two.

But what a game it was as both sides showed why they had managed 100% winning records in the previous eight rounds.

It was Normanton who scored first when Jonathan Kirk’s long ball put in Andrew Greaves for a fourth minute try. Paul Evans pulled back a penalty for Millom, before the home side swept downfield through Graham Lupton, Tom Sibley and Nathan Mossop for Shaun Errington to score and Evans goaled try.

Normanton hit back as Phil Newsome, Paul Ellis and Ryan Tilford led the way, but the Millom defence held firm before a spilled Knights pass was snapped up by Anthony Dixon who raced 70 metres for an Evans goaled touchdown with a 14-4 interval lead.

At the start of the second half Lupton and Mossop were held over the Normanton line unable to score, as Craig Wilson led the way, before the visitors hit back with a 65 metre try from Chris Lewis for Josh Thompson to goal.

A further Evans penalty proved the only further score, and Millom were top of the table and still undefeated.

League Weekly:

Millom are back on top of Division Two, ahead on points difference with a game in hand.

Something had to give in the meeting of the section's two unbeaten sides, and the goalkicking of Maroons stand off Paul Evans was crucial in a game in which both teams scored two tries.

The Knights, ironically were without scrum half Mick Hill, who has been in superb form with the boot.

No one will ever know whether the result would have been different if Hill had taken part, and such considerations are unlikely to trouble a Millom outfit which recovered from an early try by Normanton winger Andrew Greaves in style.

Second row Shaun Errington and centre Anthony Dixon crossed before the break in response, Evans adding the conversions to his earlier penalty to help establish a 14-4 interval lead.

The Knights clawed their way back into contention when centre Chris Lewis scampered over, substitute Josh Thompson adding the extras. But Evan's fourth goal, 12 minutes from time, proved to be the last score.



			W Lloyd



M Palmer		A Dixon		T Sibley		R Brooks



		P Evans		N Mossop



			C Spiers



		S Errington		P Lupton



	P Carter		G Lupton		P Middleton



E Miller		J Shaw		A Dawson		C Wilson