Vale Senior Colts 25 - 10 Bolton Senior Colts
Sunday 21st February 2010
Vale of Lune Senior Colts clinched the Raging Bull North West Colts Senior E League title on Sunday with a demolition of closest rivals Bolton 25-10. This is due reward for a team put back together at the start of this season after disbanding 2 seasons ago, mass publicity and RFU coaches have brought the lads back to the Vale in abundance with 32 players signing on for the season. Sunday’s game was in effect a Championship decider, the Vale knew that if they won the title was theirs but if Bolton won then it was down to next weekends reverse fixture. Home advantage gave Vale the edge and with big support the lads knew today was going to be their day, and they didn’t disappoint.
Coaches Powell and Sutcliffe had 27 players at their disposal for Sunday’s game giving several selection headaches prior to the game but both knew that the team selected was more than capable of pulling off the win needed. Straight from kick off Vale pushed into the Bolton half and knocked the visitors back at every opportunity, O’Donnell, Jeffreys and the ever impressive Clarkson making yards every time they got hands on ball.
Bolton time after time killed the ball giving Vale three penalties but the home side could not capitalise with Fawcett and Whyke having a rare off day with the boot, it meant that Vale would have to rely on tries to win and soon enough the breakthrough came. A shortened lineout using Clarkson again with the crash ball and after a series of picks from the forwards concluded with Edlin powering over for a converted try. Straight from the kick off the home side let their foot off the gas as Bolton made their first hunt into the Vale half and came away with an unconverted try. The half time whistle blew with Vale leading 7-5 and it was all to play for in the second half.
Stern words from the coaches at half time seemed to have a huge effect on the Vale lads and they took the game to Bolton once again, Harris pulling the strings at fly half giving debutant Haddow space to release Sharples who didn’t have the pace to beat his defender but was always able to offload to support. 15 minutes into the second half Vale made changes with Katsande, Charnley, O’Brien, Hesketh and Watson coming on to replace Fawcett, Martin, O’Donnell, Hall and the energetic Lebaldi who had worked himself into the ground yet again. This proved to be the lift they needed and changed the game. The increase in tempo from the Vale lads caught Bolton out with two tries in 5 minutes, after several phases of play which allowed two dynamic runs from Jeffreys the first he crashed over himself and the second he offloaded to Jones who went sliding over and suddenly the score had changed to Vale 17 Bolton 5 and seemingly the game was over.
Vale did not stop there, again powerful runs from Tomlinson, Tagg and Charnley forced Bolton to concede a penalty in front of the posts which allowed Harris to collect the 3 points and give the Vale a 15 point lead with 7 minutes remaining. Now it was the time for the backs to produce some magic, some great passing and support from Haddow freed the powerful Hesketh to waddle his way to the line for an unconverted try and the game was now truly over. Bolton made one last advance into the Vale half and came away with 5 points which was due reward for some fine play and the never say die attitude which has been shown by all teams in the Raging bull Leagues this season.
As the full time whistle blew the Vale players and supporters cheered what was a well fought 25-10 victory and could now call themselves League E Champions which is truly deserved after a long season. The lads now go on to the League Cup which starts on the 7th March with the draw taking place this week, the double could be on and all Vale players know there is still plenty of hard work to get through till they can have their well deserved rest!
Vale- Fawcett; Jones (1T), Haddow, O’Donnell, Sharples; Harris (1C 1P), Whyke; Clarkson, Lebaldi, Hall; Jeffreys (1T), Hatton; Edlin (1T), Martin and Tagg.
Subs- Watson, O’Brien, Tomlinson, Charnley, Hesketh (1T), Katsande and Newton.
Res- Adiele, Clark, Aspinall, Swinden and Coulton.




