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Broughton Park 19 Northwich 14

6/ 3/2008

BROUGHTON Park kept up the pressure on the league leaders after playing against a relegation-threatened side for the third consecutive week.

As was the case with Vale of Lune a fortnight before, Northwich proved a stern test for a Park side still with an outside chance of a promotion play-off place.

Facing a strong wind, Park retained the ball for the first 10 minutes, pushing Northwich back into their own half where they were caught offside, allowing Ronan O’Brien to make the score 3-0.

However, a mistake from the home side allowed Northwich to level the scores before a penalty awarded for offside saw Northwich lead.

Park took the lead 10 minutes before half-time thanks to a move which started with Adam Knight’s good break down the left-hand side.

Although he was caught near the line, Northwich subsequently knocked on, and from the resultant scrum, John Clifford fed Steve Elliott.

He set the backs in motion and the ball eventually found Knight, this time on the right wing, and he scored in the corner, O’Brien landing the conversion against the wind.

It was Northwich who led at the break though when, after a Park error, they kicked ahead with the win and forced the home side to defend a series of driven mauls.

Unfortunately for Park, they were unable to hold out as Northwich drove over for an unconverted try to lead 11-10 at the break.

With the wind after the break, O’Brien kicked another penalty as Park were camped in the opposition half, although they were unable to breach the visiting defence.

Both sides swapped penalties, giving Park a two-point advantage at 16-14 before another penalty opportunity saw O’Brien land another kick to end the scoring.