Mannerians 1st XV 43
Lincoln 1st XV 14
With the Showground still underwater after the thaw, this fixture was relocated to Chesterfield rather than add to the fixture pile-up.
And the change paid off for Mannerians as they produced some crac
king rugby in recording their biggest ever victory over the Imps.
Throughout the game Mannerians were the dominant force, but unforced errors and a tendency to over play on occasion allowed Lincoln to stay in touch in the first half.
Indeed the visitors took the lead after capitalising on a home mistake to claim a converted try.
This was countered by a Will Moroney penalty, and Mannerians were bristling with threats, particularly from the counter attacking Tom Crapper and Ben Hopkinson.
The second-half was all blue, with an astonishing point-a-minute return.
The first try came as Martin Pearce and Paul Webster conspired to steal a Lincoln ball against the head. Hopkinson picked up at the base and committed the defence then found powerhouse Moroney who ploughed over for Mannerians’ first of the day.
Moroney’s conversion from wide of his own try was soon followed by a period of exemplary attacking rugby.
Mannerians’ pack was getting the nudge on Lincoln in the scrummage and this was giving flankers Josh Bagshawe and Ben Sizer the chance to harry and scavenge as the visitors retreated.
In a classic example of this, Bagshawe – having one of his best games in Mannerian colours - turned over the ball from the clutches of the harassed Lincoln fly-half and launched the attack. The skipper and centre partner Jack Duncan cut a swathe through the defence and Elsworth was in for his first.
Manager Joe Oldfield then decided to make a few changes. David Greagsby came on for an ailing Max Crampton, and Nick Morgan came in at centre with Duncan reverting to full back.
Greagsby helped ensure the Lincoln scrum was kept under the cosh and Morgan’s straight-running style gave the away defence another conundrum with which to grapple.
Having previously made their scores out wide, Mannerians began to attack through the middle. Tom Oldfield cut in from his wing, Morgan and Ed Hutchinson combined in the centre and the forwards carried the ball forward via Dan Driscoll and the ubiquitous Tom Spencer, and Mannerians had the unusual scenario of a three-man overlap of forwards with Sizer claiming the points.
Elsworth’s second came after Mannerians had broken Lincoln hearts with some vigorous counter-rucking by Webster, Spencer and Josh Bagshawe, which saw the ball snaffled and shipped to Elsworth’s wing, where his trickery and change of pace took him past the defence and under the posts.
Spencer’s vigour took its inevitable toll and he took a precautionary early bath, giving Peter Fearn a welcome return to action.
