A winning start

Wigton started their new season with a rather disjointed, but ultimately victorious effort, against newly promoted Littleborough, who at one point had hopes of commencing their season with a dream start away win, but Wigton closed them down in the finishing straight.

Four players made their debut for Wigton; ex Colt Dan Foy and Matthew Corrigan, Matt Rogers and Jamie Warwick, three players who have joined the club from Creighton.

Littleborough were the first to make an impact with good handling creating an overlap for left winger Coop. The ball was efficiently recycled to the opposite flank where right winger Goldthorpe had a foot in touch a few yards out.

Wigton replied with an impressive attack of their own fashioned from a turnover. No 8 Corrigan made an impressive surge through midfield and full back Gregg Smith and winger Ryan Clark were involved in support before Clark was bundled into touch just short of the line. Shortly afterwards Smith opened Wigton's account with a well struck penalty kick from forty or more yards out.

Littleborough settled into playing the percentages, kicking effectively for territory, often with the boot of inside centre Whittles. However, much of the game was played in the midfield areas as both sides looked rusty and struggled for fluency. Wigton were starting to exert pressure on the visitors' scrum, although the lineout was a less reliable source of possession at this early stage. Smith had a chance to extend the lead with a penalty from a lineout offence, but was unable to locate the posts. Instead it was Littleborough who were able to level the scores when They burst away from a lineout and Wigton were penalised. A further ten metres were conceded for not retreating ten, making the kick a short range formality in front of the sticks. Full back Park made no mistake to produce a 3-3 scoreline.

Good work by Foy at outside centre got Wigton into the Littleborough 22 and a penalty created a promising situation with a lineout in the corner. However, good defence prevented Wigton getting a drive going and momentum was lost. After this however, Wigton got their lineouts working much more efficiently. A strong drive from a defensive lineout got Wigton going forward from their own 22. However, a back move was attempted too close to the defenders and Littleborough intercepted. Simple quick handling exploited the breakthrough, giving winger Coop plenty of room to score the game's first try just before halftime. There was no conversion, but Littleborough were delighted to hold a 3-8 lead.

After the break it looked as though Wigton were coming out meaning business. From their first possession of the half they retained the ball well and Smith was able to glide through the defence, draw the last defender and put Clark away for an equalising try. The conversion was wide but the score was now 8-8.

Wigton now started to get on top on some aspects of play. The scrums moved steadily forward and the lineouts became better with Jay Henderson showing good hands at front jumper. When the ball was driven, Wigton made good ground and Littleborough conceded a lot of penalties trying to stop these drives. However, Wigton struggled to find the passing accuracy required to get the backs going and whilst pick and go tactics from the forwards made ground, they did become rather predictable.

During the half, Henderson made some penetrating runs showing a good eye for a gap and Corrigan also continued to impress with the ball in hand. Kevin Robinson, skipper for the day and celebrating fatherhood, looked very comfortable at loose head prop, although he had eventually to leave the field with a calf injury.

Wigton created promising situations but often lacked the precision to hammer the advantage home. Smith had a penalty kick come back off the upright but Corrigan showed good footwork when carrying the ball back into the opposition half. Smith looked certain to score but was hauled down inches short. A succession of forwards tried and failed to batter their way over from close range and a promising position was lost with another intercept. Coop kicked the ball through into a dangerous position, but Smith covered back and showed skill and good understanding of the laws to retrieve the ball and enable Wigton to clear.

One of Littleborough's second row forwards was shown a yellow card for an uncertain offence in midfield and Wigton looked more likely to score but continued to fail to do so. A ball shooting out of a Wigton scrum was hacked down field by Littleborough all the way to the Wigton 22. It was not long after this that a scrum penalty enabled Park to edge Littleborough ahead by 11 points to 8.

Wigton tried to hit back but Littleborough showed determination to hang on for the win. However, as the game entered its final minutes, Wigton started to get on top and Littleborough conceded penalty after penalty. The number of penalties conceded in the red zone could easily have resulted in a yellow card, but despite a number of warnings none came. A close range penalty could have been used to level the scores, but feeling the force was with them, Wigton's pack instead used the penalty to initiate a driving maul which surged over the line for a try. Smith's conversion gave Wigton a 15-11 lead.

Littleborough were hoping for a grandstand finish but instead Wigton continued to dominate and a late Smith penalty gave a final score of 18-11. Not a vintage performance, but it is always good to start with a win.

Next week we have a difficult trip to Oldham. Coach Lee will be hoping to have half backs Ledingham and Hanabury available, but he will also hope that injuries which force Sessford, Creighton and Robinson to leave the field today prove not to be serious.