Bringing the current season to a close, Wilmslow High beat Lymm to retain the Cheshire Cup in style.
Scoring five tries was enough to beat a spirited Lymm side who, despite some rapid attacks, lacked the real manpower to overcome Wilmslow’s strong forwards.
Facing the freezing temperatures in a late kick-off at Wilmslow Rugby Club, the crowd were treated to a spectacle that entertained from start to finish.
Perhaps slightly wary of the opposition, both teams contributed to a cagey opening, with scrums failing and neither team posing any serious threat.
Lymm began to work up a head of steam and won a penalty to take a three-point lead on 10 minutes.
From the restart, Wilmslow bounced back, with swift build-up play allowing James Venables and Rob Taylor to make some forceful runs.
In an instant, the disorganised Lymm defence allowed Lewis Gallagher to dart through a gap to score.
Unable to convert the points, a 5-3 scoreline after 15 minutes was, however, satisfactory for Wilmslow.
Lymm regrouped, but couldn’t spread their play and with both sides channelled into the middle of the park, chances were limited for both sides.
Wilf Noden added to Wilmslow’s advantage with a penalty but at 8-3, matters were far from settled.
Callum Westaway touched down, giving Wilmslow a buffer but another missed conversion meant that they couldn’t pull away, allowing Lymm to take heart and play with hope.
The tail-end of the first half became quite stretched, with Lymm’s wingers hunting down the elusive try.
Breaking free from Wilmslow’s defence, Lymm thought they had scored, only for it to be ruled out.
A dynamic attack from Wilmslow at the other end saw a yellow card for Lymm, but this was too late on to have any major effect on proceedings.
Lymm summoned a huge effort in the second half to push on from the kick-off, keeping a crucial few moments of pressure alive to score. The conversion wasn’t accurate, meaning Wilmslow stayed in the lead at 13-8.
Fired up from conceding, Wilmslow battled on, with a penalty and a second try for Westaway, with the extras added on, to improve their tally to 23-8.
Minutes later, captain Simon Green was determined as he evaded tackles and drove through to score.
Noden’s kick went inches wide but it made precious little difference as Wilmslow were now controlling general play.
Exchanging passes with Tom Duffy, Sam Broster beat the last man to dot down, and a successful kick put Wilmslow into an insurmountable 27-point lead.
A late consolation try for Lymm did little to dampen the celebratory mood among Wilmslow’s players and supporters.
Completing another fantastic season of rugby for Wilmslow High School, the silverware is testament to the hard work put in week in, week out by the squad, who can aspire to reach comparable heights next season.
