Heysham Atoms 24 - Cadishead Rhinos 18

North-West Counties Division Four
THE Heysham Atoms made it three wins out of three with a solid victory against tough opposition in the form of Salford's Cadishead Rhinos.

Before the game the two sides had virtually identical league records for the season, so the Atoms knew they would have to be at their best to get a result.
For the first time this season they were able to play on their treasured Trimpell turf. Dave McVernon and Lee Harvey were unavailable, so a couple of changes to the front row had to be accommodated.
Captain Gavin Helliwell returned and his no-nonsense approach to leadership got the minds of his players well focused to the job in hand.
The Atoms received possession first from the kick-off and were able to complete their set moving 60 yards upfield. This set the tone for the opening exchanges.
A tight opening brought very few clear-cut changes with Cadishead just edging the territorial advantage.
Cadishead's stand-off was very creative and it was apparent very early on that he would have to be marked very carefully.
The Atoms defended well and, with Matt Craven and his fellow backs making big yards out of defence, the pressure was never allowed to build for too long.
A steady progression upfield and a good kick and chase brought a knock-on by Cadishead's full-back. A blind-side move from the base of the resulting scrum took the Atoms within touching distance. Hartlebury and Telford looked for the opening before Liam Hall crashed over at short range.
Andy Garnett's trusty boot added the extra two points.
Shortly after Garnett almost increased the lead when a 45-yard penalty hit the post as the half-time whistle approached.
The Atoms felt that Cadishead's big pack was beginning to tire a little and a wider approach to the attack would prove fruitful. This plan did not even have chance to be put into action before the scores were level.
A high Atoms' tackle from the kick-off gave Cadishead easy metres down the pitch. A chip and chase by the stand-off broke the Atoms' line and with support players on his shoulder a try was scored under the posts.
Cadishead nearly took the lead on their very next attack only for an outstanding Russell Birkett scrambling tackle by the corner flag to intervene.
The Atoms needed some possession of their own to settle down with and put their plan into action.
Gavin Winder and new recruit Steven Jackson were the starting points for most of what was good about the Atoms' play. They were both posed a lot of questions by Cadishead's kicking game but both came out with great credit, especially when bringing the ball away from their own line.
The next 20 minutes brought the Atoms well into the ascendancy with three tries, all from long range, with excellent support play.
The first began with the Atoms' quicksilver centre, Matt Craven, bursting through, he then off-loaded to Pinner and fed the lively Rory Batson. He drew his man and put Garnett into space who out-sprinted the cover in a 40-metre foot race. Once he regained his breath he slotted over the conversion.
The Atoms were now unleashing their attacks from depth with good support and it was only a matter of time before Cadishead's line was breached once more.
Aldren and Helliwell gained valuable yards from a penalty, taking play well into Cadishead's half. Hartlebury put up a telling kick that bounced very awkwardly for the full-back. The Atoms' players reacted the quickest and stand-off Scott Telford was able to stride over the line unopposed.
Within minutes the Atoms had the scoreboard moving again. Telford and Batson broke the line to find the in-form Birkett on the shoulder.
He had the full-back to beat and decided to drive over the top of him. He had enough strength and reach to post the Atoms' fourth try. Garnett's kick put the Atoms 24-6 up.
Ollie Austin and Neil Walker came on for the last 15 minutes of the game and both slotted in well, making telling contributions.
Coach Dave Crow maintains the importance of playing for the full 80 minutes but this was not heeded by his players as they visibly eased off at the 70-minute mark.
What had been a very determined defence now looked a bit vulnerable as two scores in quick time gave the Atoms a bit of a fright. But they regained their composure and saw the game out for two more vital league points.

Heysham Atoms: G Winder, S Jackson, M Craven, R Batson, A Garnett, S Telford, K Hartlebury, L Hall, H Pinner, A Aldren, G Helliwell, R Shaw, R Birkett. Reserves: C Connaughton, M Allan, N Walker, O Austin.
Man of the match: Matt Craven.

The Cadishead (Salford) Rhinos, on an early season amongst the league leaders, were brought to ground by the Atoms, enjoying a great run of early season form. The Atoms are still unbeaten at home and are looking a strong outside bet for silverware this season. The game started slowly with the Atoms going in front early through a Liam Hall try from short distance and a Neil Walker conversion.

The Atoms dominated the middle period of the game with Russ Birkett getting the reward for his hard work with a try, and Scott Telford regathering a mistake by the Rhinos fullback to score.

The highlight of the game was a try that would have graced a much bigger stage than Trimpell. Andy Garnett scampered through a chink in the middle of the Rhinos armour, handing on to Helme, who fed Alex Batson, who interchanged angles with the livewire Matt Craven, who returned the ball to Andy Garnett, who outpaced the charging cover to score. The move went for 75 yards in 10 seconds of breathtaking rugby that brought the resuregent Atoms crowd to the edge of their toes.

The Rhinos were resilient and attempted a late comeback, but the Atoms were always in control, and move on to Warrington to face Crosfields next Saturday.

Atoms: G Winder, S Jackson, M Craven, R Batson, A Garnett, S Telford, K Hartlebury, L Hall, H Pinner, A Aldren, G Helliwell, R Shaw, R Birkett. Reserves: C Connaughton, M Allan, N Walker, O Austin.

Pilkingtons Recs A 40 Wigan Keepers 16

Ince Rose Bridge 21 Eccleston Lions 12

Heysham Atoms 24 Cadishead Rhinos 18

Widnes Tigers 46 Crosfields 12

I was very pleased with Saturday's game for the most part. We had to defend our line for long periods and looked keen and organised in this Department. Cadishead's stand off gave us a few problems but we still managed to Nil them in the first half which is a massive improvement on last year.

The acquisition of Scott Telford and Matt Craven in the three quarters has been a real bonus for us as this is the area I thought we would struggle most in. Matt's extra yard of pace helped us no end when bringing the ball away from our own line. The forwards had a tough afternoon but stood up to the task well and in the end gained the upper hand which laid the foundation for victory.

Our attack was in good order scoring some excellent tries but we switched off for the last 10 minutes after getting into a great position of 24-6 up. I will be hammering home the importance of playing for the full 80 minutes and to maintain our concentration as the season unfolds. Everyone who played on Saturday should have a clean bill of health and with Dave McVernon, Greg Sykes and Randal Raines all available for selection I am certainly picking a team from a position of strength.

Crosfields (Warrington) will be the opposition on Saturday and although they have played 4 and lost 4 none have been thrashings and they will prove to be stern opposition. We will be hoping to maintain our momentum we have built up since the start of the season and can enter this game with confidence sky high.

Dave Crow
Atoms Coach