Monday 15th February 2010

After disposing of league leaders Lymm only the previous day, Vale took on a determined Kirkby Lonsdale side under the floodlights at Lancaster & Morecambe College on what had become a very damp evening with water beginning to lie on the pitch.  A game in which a win would all but guarantee the league title for the Vale.

After a dropped kick off, Vale pushed into the Kirkby half and secured an early try through Thomason, who took advantage of a free blindside to pick up at the base of a ruck and dived over in the corner. Carter missed the kick, but this proved to be his only error with the boot all night. He then added a further two penalty goals in the first half  making the score 11 – 0 at the interval to   Vale.

The second half saw the welcome return of Reeves into the centre, but it was again the forwards who created an excellently worked try. A series of pick and drives and short balls off scrum half Rudland-Thomas led to Thomason being tackled just short before Wilson picked up to reach over the line for the try.  Kirkby then made a determined repost with a long range penalty goal. Kirkby ran and ran throughout the game and had plenty of ball but Vale’s defence is turning into a formidable unit.  Kirkby were let down by their own indiscipline at the breakdown providing Carter with the opportunity to kick three further penalties to round off an extremely assured performance by Vale of Lune. This win should ensure the league title will be officially gained at Kendal on Sunday unless weather conditions interfere.

Vale of Lune: K.Sharples, S.Wilson, Z.Ashton-Hill;   S.Thompson, S.Dixon;   D.Thomason, M.Rogerson, C.Willmott;   J.Rudland-Thomas, O.Carter;   M.Walling, J.Lynch, R.Wood, M.Bunn;   S.Pedder;   A.McSporran; A.Mason; F.Catlow; J.Reeves; A.Baines.

 Sunday 14th February 2010

         Vale’s visit to Lymm had been one that had been eagerly awaited since the first day of the season where Lymm had beaten Vale 22-10, and as the season has progressed it became a match of much larger proportions as Lymm and Vale sat first and second respectively in League A. It may have been Valentine’s Day but there was no love lost between these two sides, in a game that was nip and tuck from start to finish.  With the slope and the wind advantage in the first half Lymm pinned Vale back in their own territory but Vale’s defence was an impenetrable wall of cherry and white, Lymm only yielded one penalty goal for their half of pressure and Vale’s brief foray into Lymm territory brought a missed penalty by Carter. At half time the score stood at 3-0 to the home side.

        Straight after the break Vale piled on the pressure through some astute kicking by Pedder and Carter and shortly after another long range penalty miss Vale’s patience paid dividends, the ball was spread wide to Rudland-Thomas, who continues to look as comfortable in the midfield as he does in the front row, powered his way through a number of Lymm players before flicking a one handed offload to Wood, who fended off the remaining Lymm tacklers to run the remaining 15 metres to the line and dot it down under the posts. The conversion was duly added by Carter. As Vale continued to lay siege on the Lymm defence a moment of indiscipline offered Carter a 30 metre shot at goal which he slotted with aplomb, making the score 10-3. Vale then soaked up countless Lymm attacks, Thomason, Baines, Rogerson and Holroyd all made telling turnovers. When Vale then moved back into the Lymm half a moment of magic from loosehead prop Mason sealed the win, a show and spin to break the line, then a turn of speed to beat the Lymm winger from 25 metres out and touch down in the corner. Carter superbly kicked the extras to make the score 17-3. Vale then dug in deep and kept Lymm out for  the final 8 minutes and despite the sin binning of Holroyd, the youngsters defended magnificently to secure a crucial and well deserved victory. The Vale team now are within sight of winning the league with only two games this next week against local rivals  Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal standing between them and winning the NW Raging Bull Junior Colts “A”League.   

Vale:  A. McSporran, D. Thomasson, A. Mason, S. Dixon, S. Thompson, A. Baines, A. Holroyd, M. Rogerson, F. Catlow, O. Carter, J. Rudland-Thomas, J. Lynch, R. Wood, S. Wilson, S. Pedder, K. Sharples, Z. Ashton- Hill, C. Wilmott, M. Bunn

Sunday 7th February 1010

The Vale youngsters travelled to Moss Lane, St Helens in the knowledge that they had a tough game ahead of them in this Lancashire Cup 3rd Round as Liverpool St Helens were not only the only unbeaten team in the NW Raging Bull Leagues, but they also had a massive 300+ points difference in those games.

Early exchanges confirmed this was going to be a testing game with tackles going in hard and rucks and mauls being fiercely contested, but Liverpool St Helens were increasingly on the back foot as the Vale back row of Baines, Rogerson and Holroyd began to make a big impression on the game. After good quick ball at a ruck Vale out-foxed the Liverpool St Helens defence with fly-half Carter spinning a perfect pass to Wood who sprinted on to the ball and tip toed along the touchline to score the first try.

Liverpool St Helens continued with their dogged defence and attempts at enterprising back play up until half time, with score remaining at 5-0 until the interval.

After the break Vale introduced fresh legs in the form of Rudland- Thomas and Mason who both made immediate impacts, with Mason picking up a loose ball and proceeding to run 40 metres down the field, when he was eventually tackled the ball moved swiftly through several pairs of hands before Rogerson went over for what was a fantastic team try. As Vale began to turn on the style, the ball came to centre Rudland-Thomas who’s burst of pace surprised his opposite number and he broke the line and sprinted  the remaining  40 metres to score a great individual score, which was duly converted by Carter. Holroyd then followed suit with an equally impressive effort. Taking advantage of the tiring LSH defence he sliced through the first line of defence before side stepping the fullback to add another five points.

 The game grew progressively scrappier through many handling errors, but the Vale continued to stand firm at the set piece as they did all day and eventually the period of hard graft paid off with Thomason crashing over in the corner, benefiting from a powerful run and excellent off load from Baines. As the full time approached Liverpool St Helens, who stuck at it for whole match applied some big pressure on the Vale line but the defence held firm, and as they tried to spread the ball wide , Lynch capitalised on a poor pass, took it on the bounce, and sprinted three quarters of  the pitch to score the final try, with Carter adding  the extras to complete the Vale’s scoring, and another fine performance by the Junior Colts. This win takes the team to the Lancashire Cup Semi Final, which will be against Warrington at Powder House Lane on Sunday 21^st March, KO 12.30pm

Vale of Lune U17: A.McSporran; D.Thomason; K. Sharples; S.Thompson; S.Dixon; A.Holroyd; A.Baines; M.Rogerson; F.Catlow; O.Carter; E.Bland; S.Wilson; R.Wood; J.Lynch; S.Pedder; J.Rudland-Thomas; M.Bunn; C.Wilmott; A.Mason.

Monday 28th December 2009 

Link to League Table

Vale kicked off this rearranged Raging Bull Colts League game and immediately had Altrincham on the back foot. Altrincham however absorbed the early pressure, and despite Vale creating a couple of half chances these went begging as a result of solid defence, or spilled ball.  As the game progressed it was very apparent there was going to be little between these two committed teams, something which is typical of matches in this very competitive league. 

Altrincham gradually began to show an attacking side to their game and it was from one of the limited incursions into the Vale half that they scored the opening try of the game when they kicked the ball through and won the race to the touchdown.

At the beginning of the second half the Vale team visibly upped the tempo, and it was no surprise when J.Rudland-Thomas drove over to score from a tap penalty after Altrincham transgressed once again at a ruck.

 Whilst Vale had plenty of the ball Altrincham were always very competitive at the breakdown and alert to slowing down and spoiling potential attacking ball for Vale. Both teams had opportunities to score, but it was Vale who were again pressurising the opposition line with only minutes to go, but time eventually ran out with the referee blowing for full time.

Despite the disappointment of a draw this result takes the Vale Junior Colts to top place in the Raging Bull Colts “A” League.       

Vale Junior Colts:

A.McSporran, D.Thomason, Z.Ashton-Hill, S.Dixon, S.Thompson, C.Wilmott, A.Holroyd, S.Wilson, O.Dobson, O.Carter, J.Lynch, M.Walling, S.Peddar, M.Simon, E.Bland, A.Watson, A.Baines, M.Rogerson, A.Mason, J.Rudland-Thomas, K.Sharples