Helsby 0 - 29 Holmes Chapel

Holmes Chapel 1st XV extended their 100% record in the Cheshire Plate by recording their third successive win in the competition. They were made to work extremely hard for the victory against a resilient and determined Helsby side, who were looking to kick-start their season after some poor recent results. Unavailability at loosehead prop saw Mark Mcenaney step into the breach, with Dan Martin partnering Jack Baskerville in the second row. After a string of impressive performances for the 2nd XV, Dom Moss was included in the matchday squad as a replacement.

The game started with Chapel in the ascendancy and they quickly had an opportunity to open the scoring. From a lineout deep in Helsby territory the forwards won quick ball and immediately fed the back-line. A pacy attack was almost finished off in the corner by Kristian Clowes, but the referee adjudged that the ball had been knocked on over the line. Later in the half Clowes thought he had scored again, however this time the ruling was that the ball was held up by the Helsby defence. Chapel's early domination continued but the score remained at 0-0 as they were unable to break the deadlock. A penalty attempt from Doug Canavan went close but rebounded against the post as the home side hung on. Helsby then began to grow in confidence, and were putting pressure on the Chapel scrum. This allowed them to set up a platform from which to attack and they were able to force Chapel back into their own half. The home side also tried to use the rolling maul as an attacking weapon, but the Chapel forwards soon stopped the drive, with Martin doing some excellent work at close quarters to prevent the Helsby pack gaining momentum. Jim Bowbeer was forced to leave the field with a pulled muscle and Moss entered the fray in the back row. Half time approached with the game remaining scoreless but there was still time for the visitors to go close on another two occasions, however the opportunities went begging and the first half ended 0-0.

The second period began well for Chapel, with Mcenaney setting off on a rampaging run straight from the restart. This attack led to a penalty being awarded but Canavan's attempt sailed narrowly wide. After this early let-off, Helsby looked the more likely to score and with confidence high they decided to run a penalty near the Chapel line. This proved to be a mistake as aggressive defending forced a turnover and the ball was kicked downfield into space by Matt Bowden. Chapel re-gathered possession and counter-attacked quickly to take advantage of the stretched Helsby defence. Moss broke from the back of ruck and raced through the defence to score beneath the posts for a try that Canavan converted for a 7-0 lead. It had been hard work to break down the home side's defence and Chapel knew the game was still very much in the balance. However, the second try of the afternoon seemed to break Helsby's resolve and they tired in the final quarter of the game. Excellent handling from the forwards kept the ball alive and prop Paul Watson finished off the move for a 12-0 lead (conversion missed). A third try was added when Mike Cottam broke through from a lineout near the Helsby line. He was tackled by two defenders but still managed to offload to Martin in support, who applied the finish (conversion missed). Mitch Lawrence had been brought on as a replacement and slick handling in the backs sent him clear to score his first try for the 1st XV. Again the conversion was unsuccessful but the lead had been increased to 22-0. The final flourish came in the dying minutes with the best try of the game from a move started and finished by Ed O'Hare. A Helsby drop-out was caught by Jon Griffin who immediately passed to O'Hare for the winger to run at the home defence. After making ground he offloaded the ball to the supporting forwards to continue the attack. Chapel continued to keep the ball alive and eventually hooker Neil Almond's pass found O'Hare who dived over under the posts. This time Canavan made no mistake with the conversion and the match ended at 29-0 to the visitors.

All in all, this was a good day's work for Chapel, as they managed to claim another away victory. Watson was named as the Chapel Man of the Match for the way he held the scrum together under pressure, along with an impressive display in the loose that was capped off with a try. It was a close-run decision however, as Moss made a real impact after he came on as a replacement, making plenty of tackles as well as scoring a crucial try. Qualification for the semi-finals of the Cheshire Plate still needs to be secured, and Chapel's next match will be in the same competition when they host Parkonians on 24 October at Station Road.

Seven matches into the new season, the 1st XV have only suffered one defeat and will be pleased with the start to the new campaign. Captain Ed Meyrick commented after the game "The whole club is looking strong at the moment with good performances and results from both the 1st and 2nd XVs. It's great to see talented young players breaking through and challenging for 1st team places, as it means there is no room for any complacency amongst our more established players as we continue the hard season ahead. It's been a good start but we can improve further and I believe we are not far away from putting together the perfect performance".

The 2nd XV notched their third win of the season last Saturday when they defeated Oswestry 34-13 at Station Road. There were three tries for Paddy Kennedy in his first game back following a long-term injury, with Chris Jones and Steve Hatton also getting on the scoresheet. Joe Maddock was named as Man of the Match for his performance at outside-half, while Wayne Scott and Jim Ainsworth also received praise for their roles in the victory. The result is another sign of the outstanding progress being made by the "twos" under the leadership of Garry Cottam this season.

The 1st XV season takes a break this Saturday, however the 2nd XV will be taking on Buxton at Station Road and looking to build on their great start. All supporters are welcome for a 3pm kick-off.

Holmes Chapel RUFC would like to thank Wymans Ltd and Hopeweiser Ltd for their continued support.