Nine tries as Vale of Lune Colts thump Southport

MATCH REPORT: Vale of Lune Colts 68 Southport Colts 24

Cloudy but dry skies welcomed Southport's teenagers to Powder House Lane for this Sunday afternoon fixture.

The complications of the Halbro Colts' league structure mattered little to the determined young players on the giant pitch. Playing the game was the focus. 

The first few minutes of play took place in the Southport half, with the Vale edging closer to the tryline. A penalty on the 22 metre line allowed Vale fullback Isaac Cook to open the scoring with three points.

Captain Thomas Bradburn required some treatment off the field, but the range of options on the bench kept up the output until the skipper's return.

A phase of Southport pressure in the Vale's five metre area was absorbed without conceding any points. When play did reach the Southport half, it was Cook who made the break for Ollie Cowper to complete the move under the posts. 

Cowper and Cook combined again for Cook to score the second, steaming in from the right wing. However, the Vale forwards were not just there to make up the numbers.

Prop Fred Manning fended off challenges as though he was swatting flies. He scored to the left of the posts and Cook added the conversion. 

Southport found another gear to their engine. A turn of speed on the left flank and adequate support took them in range of the Vale tryline and sustained forward pressure finished the job to put Southport on the scoreboard.

The first half ended with another front row try for the Vale. Billy Bolton took the applause for his opportunism in the left corner, making it 29 - 5 to the Vale Colts. 

Southport came out in lively fashion. Their No. 9 made a thrilling dash from his own 22 metre line all the way to score.

The Vale had not been expecting that. Centre Jacob Winder reclaimed the initiative with a try, and Theo Helme did the same soon after, skipping through Southport defensive efforts like a slalom skier.

Southport got a break when a yellow card was shown to the Vale's Krzysztof Wokcik for a carelessly placed elbow in a ruck. Southport scored twice, but Jack Thomas maintained the Vale's scoring rate.

With Wojcik restored, the final two tries were notched up by Isaac Cook, who had been at the heart of the action all afternoon. 

Whilst the dedicated coaching team would have preferred for the Colts to not have conceded four, nine tries is a good day's work, and a celebratory atmosphere prevailed. 

Team:  B. Bolton, J. Baker, F. Manning, J. Thomas, O. Tresham, T. Bradburn, W. Collins, H. Law, O. Cowper, M. Harwood, A. Heath, A. Lamont, J. Winder, A. Slinn, I. Cook.   Reps: C. Stewart, K. Wojcik, T. Helme, M. Makinson, H. Stainton, Q. Jackson, O. Ball.