Cheshire Vase SF
Anselmians 22
Wilmslow 19

JUST when they thought they were back to winning ways, Wilmslow crashed frustratingly out of the Cheshire Vase in extra time at Anselmians.

The price of victory seven days earlier against league leaders Broughton Park was a crippling injury and availability list that saw the Wolves field a dramatically different side. But it was still a team packed with talent that should have beaten a spirited mid-table Anselmians outfit.

Wilmslow won plenty of possession, but paid the price for too many wrong options, poor kicks and missed tackles. Tries from winger Tim Medwell, scrum-half Dan Hargreaves and centre Ross Hunter, and two conversions from fly-half Bob MacCallum, just weren't enough.

"I don't think we deserved to win," coach Steve Peters admitted. "What let us down was too many errors. We won enough possession, but we were too impatient and didn't build phases to create pressure, and that ultimately was our downfall.

"Indiscipline cost us crucial points from penalties, but overall it was our lack of application. We have the players to finish off moves, but our decision-making wasn't good enough."

He added: "It's back to league business at Wirral this weekend, and we're going to have to get our act together for that."

Skipper Chris Jones unleashed a paint-stripping tirade at his under-performing players which left them in no doubt about his demands for commitment for the rest of the league campaign.

Anselmians broke the deadlock in the first half with a soft try, which was unconverted, just before the break.

Medwell scored almost from the kick-off in the second period after Wilmslow stole the ball to launch an attack through MacCallum and Jones.

Anselmians kept in touch with a penalty, before Wilmslow's second score when Hargreaves scampered 15 metres, burrowing through three tackles to touch down and MacCallum converted.

Anselmians clawed back to level with two penalty strikes which pushed the game into extra time. The home side scored almost from the restart, but centre Hunter levelled the scores at the start of the second ten-minute period with a catch and drive from a lineout.

Just when Wilmslow thought they'd be going through as the home side drawing away, they infringed in a ruck with just two minutes to go. Anselmians slotted the penalty and Wilmslow's cup run was over.