Despite a gutsy battle the Saints finally ran out of numbers today losing out to our near neighbours in the final ten minutes, 10-24.
The Saints were forced into a pre-match shuffle with Ethan Bradbury in for Ellis Archer, but scrum half, Archer, found himself in the action after only 90 seconds as Bradbury was led from the field with a bad gash to the head which ended his days activity before it had started.
Having endured all that, the Saints started brightly with Daniel Moss being ankle tapped as he sprinted for the line. Just a couple of minutes later the two half backs combined to give the Saints the lead.
The Saints had pounded the right side of the visitor’s defence for three tackles and went that way again on the fourth with Moss feeding Archer who dummied his way into the corner.
Shay Martyn conversion fell agonisingly short, but the Saints were on the board and looking dominant in the first quarter due to their 95% completion rate.
Unfortunately, in the last 20 minutes of the half errors and knock-ons meant that completion rate dropped which let the visitors back in.
Wigan went in 8 points up at the break thanks to two converted tries both of which contained suspicious passes in the build-up.
Half time brought more agony as two further players were ruled out for the remainder of the game leaving only three subs on the bench.
A knock on from a final pass 10 minutes in gave the Saints a life line which they gratefully took finally hanging onto possession for long enough to put the visitors under pressure.
Fifteen minutes in the Saints crafted a great try again down the left side. Captain Lewis Baxter nudged his nose half way through the line, just enough to be able to feed the supporting Taylor Pemberton on the inside.
He took it on 20 metres to the fullback before passing inside to Daniel Moss who outsprinted the cover from halfway to go under the posts.
Martyn’s conversion put the Saints within two points and right back in it.
The last quarter became a bit of a war of attrition and with the Saints down on numbers that was only going to go one way. Sure enough a tired knock on at the halfway line with 10 minutes to go led to the first of back-to-back tries which took the game away from the Saints.
Saints U19’s:
Team: Jonathan Bennison; Shay Martyn, McKenzie Buckley, Ellis Keppel, Alfie Whittle; Daniel Moss, Taylor Pemberton; Lewis Baxter (C), Ethan Bradbury, George Delaney, Ben O’Donnell, Reece Sumner, Kalan Devine.
Interchanges: Ellis Archer, Cole Appleby, Joe Woods, Kallem Rodgers, Eliot Peposhi, Keane Gilford.
Tries: Ellis Archer (9), Daniel Moss (56).
Goals : Shay Martyn 1 from 2.
Wigan U19’s:
Team: Umyla Hanley; Jacob Kilner-Douglas, Zach Eckersley, Alexander Sutton, Joseph Robinson; Adam Jones, Logan Astley; Toby Brennan, Thomas Forber, Kavan Rothwell, Matthew Nicholson (C), Ri’chards Nsemba, Bradley O’Neill.
Interchanges: Kyle Huish, Harvey Makin, Ellis Hodson, Max Wood, Reagan Sumner, Harvey Wilson, Harvie Hill.
Tries: Ri’chards Nsemba (20), Joseph Robinson (33), Logan Astley (70 & 72).
Goals: Alexander Sutton 4 from 4.
Half Time: 4-12
Full Time: 10-24
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Thanks to Jess Hornby for the photos
