HIGH FIVES AND TIES ALL ROUND

VALE OF LUNE  35    WHITCHURCH  0
NORTH TWO WEST

On a day when the Vale of Lune went nap, the pheasant pluckers had been at it, Brian had been in the smoker, Andy Higgin and Trevor Glover, the dream team, were on ground duty and Chairman Brian McCann had arrived by train and had booked the overnight sleeper back to Grange. Phil Rogerson Ltd were the match sponsors; Phil was a sharp suited, beaming generous host, who looked fitter and leaner than when he played for the first team.
After Trevor had finished wrestling with the complexities of putting on the post protectors, well worth the admission charge by the way, it was discovered that the bag of practise balls had gone missing. Unfortunately Jacques Tati and Marcel Marceau are not part of the back up team so until the balls turned up some of the pre match moves were mimed with all the intensity of a Monsieur Hulot movie.

Eventually the balls were found in the County Bar, no doubt taking advantage of Phil's hospitality. All their absence did was to increase the Vale's desire to get their hands on the Raptor and straight from the kick off they clamped their mitts on it, fondling it, hugging it, caressing it and tearfully passing it on to a colleague.

Prop Phil Jackson was having none of this touchy feely approach. Once he had ripped the ball out of a rolling maul he scuttled away for a fourth minute try, friend or foe stood no chance of wrestling it off him. Andy Miller, rocked the ball to and fro, turned it around lovingly before settling it on the tee and adding the extra points via an upright.

John Bleasdale, perhaps to the consternation of those around him who had yet to have a touch of the ball, hoisted it into the dead ball area. James Curran gave chase, concerned it might be heading for a tasty nibble and a glass of chilled wine in the clubhouse. He timed his run to perfection collecting the ball to chalk up his thirtieth try in his fiftieth appearance in the seventh minute.

Gradually more and more players managed to get their hands on the ball, Whitchurch came into the game as Ollie Bates-Smith and Tom Pemberton began to whip the forwards along. But the Vale declined to become party to a repeat of what happened at Edgley Park, their preferred option was to move the ball wide.
In the twenty sixth minute the Vale no longer needed to cosset the ball like a long lost friend. Dave Halliwell charged forward, James Bryan cut inside off his wing like a bolt of lightning and when the move switched direction Andy Garnett shot away for a try, converted by Andy Miller.

Handling the ball for the Vale players had now become second nature but not so for the visitors. Stand off Jon Suckley shaped up to receive a pass in the dead ball area, but suddenly it turned into a nasty hissing hot potato and as it slipped from the unlucky number ten's grasp, asbestos hands, John Bleasdale snaffled a try.

Although Andy Miller thrashed over an early second half penalty the tempo eased. Before the hour mark, Coach John Morgan confidently brought on all the replacements and his ploy immediately paid dividends when Gavin Barton, back in action following an injury sustained in October, claimed a try after a drive from the line out.

A final penalty from Andy Miller completed the scoring as for the second time this season the Vale kept a clean sheet. This statistic did not concern a group of anoraks on the touch line. In a lull in the proceedings they were trying to not only work out where Morecambe's opponents in the F.A Trophy, Mangotsfield United, came from, but which soccer team had the longest name, or even the most letters; Queen of the South, Brighton and Hove Albion were thrown into the ring. Still it made a change from trying to unravel what that little minx, Tracy Barlow, was up to in the 'Street'. Intellectual challenges, plus liquorice and blackcurrant toffees are part and parcel of life on the East Terrace.

After the game, Man of the Match Dave Halliwell sported an eyeball searing Hawaiian shirt but thankfully he had not bothered with the grass skirt, after all it was the second Saturday in January, but any well respected 'chest freezer' can wear whatever he chooses!!

VALE OF LUNE: A.Miller, J.Bryan, A.Garnett, I.Bird, J.Curran, N.Bennetts (Capt), J.Bleasdale (Rep M.Walker 58), P.Jackson, D.Schuyler (Rep G.Barton 58), D.Halliwell (Rep A.Cowey 58), M.Speight, D.Perry, L.Ford, D.Lin, M.Fowler.

Bannister Bates Man of the Match - Dave Halliwell
Match Sponsor - Phil Rogerson Ltd.