Raging Bull North West League Division 4 South

Bowdon 3rds 10,

Oswestry 2nds 40

ON AN extremely blustery day, Oswestry Eagles travelled to Bowdon looking to get back to winning ways after six losses in a row.

The game started at a fast pace, with the Eagles looking to assert themselves from the off. The wind did not help matters for either side, with several handling errors in the opening passages as the hands warmed. 

Oswestry props Chris Hesketh and Nick Woodcock showed everyone how to do it with some excellent slick hands from the pair putting Ben Morris into space, who passed to Iwan Willis to use his pace to score in the corner, unconverted. 

Bowdon soon got in the Eagles half and a great penalty kick, considering the wind, gave them three points as a just reward. 

A fantastic piece of individual play from Zak Baldwin saw him score to put the Eagles back in the driving seat and this was followed by a well-finished try by Andy Smith following a Gaz Ellis steal in the line-out. Neither kick was converted. 

Bowdon then got themselves over the whitewash with a well-worked driving maul, again well converted by their number 10. 

Huw Jones took it upon himself to gain some hard yards, however, and put second row partner Kris Chatfield in, this time converted by Paul Curran. 

But Bowdon were keen to stay in the game and again got up into the Oswestry half to score following a powerful run by their scrum-half, again well converted. 

The visitors had the final say of the first half, however, with man-of-the-match Scott Double crossing after good work by himself and Baldwin. 

The Eagles were determined to improve their defence in the second half and they opened well with more good hands seeing Tom Keaveny cap his return from self-imposed exile with a fantastic dance along the touchline to evade a would-be tackler and score, unconverted. 

Good carrying by Luke Hassall saw the Eagles gain some more hard yards and this time it was Jamie Luckett who crossed. 

An excellent carry from Luckett from the resulting kick-off saw Dan Munro combine well with James Roberts to put Keaveny in for his second try.

A Dave Morris rip followed by a deft offload saw great hands again by Ali Pryce, who fed Fletcher Owen-Youens to score. Brother Luca was the on hand to show his power and skill to put Jamie Luckett in for his second to finish the game well.