Heysham Atoms 24 - Ince Rose Bridge 10
North West Counties Division Four

This was a game that the Atoms had to win to keep pace with the teams in the promotion race.

A very accomplished performance was achieved through good preparation, an organised defence and a team that stuck to the game plan.
Dave McVernon's hat-trick was the highlight of this victory but the return to the side of Brian Cambidge cannot be underestimated.
His great technical defence, an eye for the opening and his sheer presence lifted the team.
A good indication of how much the team is up for the game is taking a look at the warm-up. Here the Atoms had good focus and knew the importance of being positive.
Ince possess the best attack in terms of points scored so the Atoms knew that their attack needed to be sharper and take every opportunity that was put in front of them.
The Atoms started in a great manner, forcing Ince to drop out from under their own sticks after only one set of six.
The Atoms kept the ball in the danger areas where Liam Hall was legged up short.
Second-row Telford attacked the narrow side and off-loaded in the tackle to winger Garnett who only had to put the ball down over the line for an unconverted try.
The Heysham completion-rate was impressive against a compact and aggressive opening from Rose Bridge. Hartlebury's probing kicks were maintaining pressure in the right areas of the field.
Rose Bridge's compressed defensive pattern was undone by two 'face' passes putting Garnett away down the left.
Hall continued the play and when halted was able to get a quick play-the-ball away.
Aldren fed McVernon who charged over the top for a well-constructed try.
Garnett added the extra two points to extend their lead. This was no more than the Atoms deserved such was the determined opening to the game.
Hartlebury and Helme were directing the play and making sure their willing runners were taking the correct options.
Ince had suffered from a lack of possession but when they had the ball they asked plenty of questions of the Atoms defence.
The defence stood firm but knew any lack of concentration could result in the Wigan side getting back into the game.
Captain Gavin Helliwell was making a welcome return to the pack after an injury lay-off and his solid defence and powerful running style strengthened further a confident-looking set of forwards who laid a great foundation for an attack-minded three-quarter line.
Cambidge made a big hit on his opposite number, forcing a turn over.
A steady build-up and again a wide passing movement undid the Rose Bridge defence. Cambidge got into the attacking action and sliced across the field to find McVernon who finished in some style to make it 14-0 at half-time.
A great, controlled 40 minutes was only half a job done and the Atoms tried to make sure that they did not take their foot off the gas.
Shane Weed's return to the squad has further bolstered the front row. Strong in the tackle and hard to put down makes him a difficult man to face and certainly benefiting from the Atkins diet.
The Atoms started where they had left off and maintained their territorial advantage with a repeat set after the ball was knocked down by a Rose Bridge player.
Winder went close before Cambidge darted over from short range for a try which Garnett converted.
Good teams such as Rose Bridge are always going to find a good patch during the game. This came in the middle period during the second half.
Their stand-off picked up and scooped away from dummy half. He noticed nobody in 'the gate' and outpaced the cover to score.
This gave the Atoms a jolt and showed nothing could be taken for granted. The Heysham side were dealt a further disruption when Telford and Cambidge both limped off within five minutes of each other. This gave a chance for the Pyrah brothers to join the action.
While the Atoms were settling into their new formation Rose Bridge scored again after a well-directed kick was pounced upon by the Wigan winger bringing the scores to 20-10.
The Atoms regained composure, finishing off a couple of sets with great chasing of the kicks. One such chase resulted in a scrum 10 metres from the line.
The impressive Birkett and Hartlebury combined to put winger Winder in open space. Unfortunately the pass could not be taken with the line at his mercy.
The winger was to make amends shortly after when he, fellow winger Steven Jackson and full-back Randal Raines chased hard a kick.
All three caught the Rose Bridge winger and drove him 10 metres into touch for an outstanding piece of defending.
From the resulting scrum they brought McVernon out into the centre whose match up in size with his facing defender was certainly in his favour.
A sharp pass from the scrum base gave McVernon enough room to build up some steam before rounding his opponent with ease to complete his hat-trick.
Unfortunately Garnett missed one of his easiest kicks but this secured the vital two points with a complete performance.
The news filtered through that league leaders, Blackbrook, had narrowly lost at Leigh Miners to make things even tighter at the top of the league.

Heysham Atoms: Raines, Jackson, Garnett, Cambidge, Winder, Helme, Hartlebury, McVernon, Aldren, Hall, Helliwell, Telford, Birkett. Reps: J Pyrah, E Pyrah, Weed, Needham.

* This Saturday, the Atoms host Widnes Tigers at Trimpell. Kick-off 2.30pm.

Heysham Atoms 24 - Ince Rose Bridge 10

Scorers:
Andy Garnett (1 try, 2 goals)
Dave McVernon (3 Trys)
Brian Cambidge (1 Try)

MAN OF THE MATCH: Brian Cambidge, Russell Birkett, Andy Aldren

Heysham Atoms kept pace with the leading pack in the charge for the Divisional Championship with an impressive home victory Ince Rose Bridge, writes Rob Shaw.

Bridge, the previous league leaders, were brought down to Earth by a fluent Atoms backline and slipped into third place. The Atoms' victory means they remain in fifth but with enough games in hand over the leaders to potentially put the Atoms at the head of the table.

Before the game, Coach David Crow called for the Atoms' to concentrate on defence. The players listened to the Coach's call and were it not for a couple of slips in concentration towards the end of the game, the meanest defence in the league would have 'nilled' the Bridge team.

The Atoms started brightly receiving the ball from the Ince Kick off and played a steady but threatening set, completed with a deft chip by Hartlebury into the Ince in-goal. The Ince team were unable to bring the ball out from behind their own line resulting in a drop out under the sticks. This early pressure from the Atoms set the immediate tone for the game and the Atoms never looked back.

From the resulting extra possession Scott Telford, playing out of the pack, spun the ball out to winger Andy Garnet who went over in the corner to register the first points with Ince still not having touched the ball.

The game settled down for a while but importantly the Atoms even when not scoring were completing their sets of six. Industrious work from forwards Russell Birkett and Dave McVernon and with Keith Hartlebury's skilful territorial kicking gaining good field position the Bridge found it difficult to launch attacks.

Bad discipline from the Atoms' prop Liam Hall gave the Wigan side a rare attacking position on the field but then Garnet struck with a classic counter attacking break. Hall made amends and continued the work upfield followed by a devastatingly quick play-the-ball leading to McVernon going over for the second try of the afternoon. Garnet added the extras, Atoms were looking good for their 10-0 lead.

The Atoms showed why they have the best defensive record in the league and repelled everything that Ince could throw at them. More completed sets and territorial kicking from Hartlebury ensured the Atoms remained in control of the game.

The third try came from a great build up which had the purists in the large crowd purring on the sidelines. Set moves were played out with a fluency that justified the hours on the training pitch and Man of the Match Brian Cambidge slotted onto the end of one move like he had never been away. Slicing through the defence he carved open the Ince line and when halted offloaded a sensational pass to the supporting McVernon who completed the move over the try line to give the Atoms a 14-nil lead.

Good play by Gavin Winder and bone-crunching defence from Shane Weed set up the position for the Atoms' next attack. Hall crashed onto a great short pass from Hartlebury to break the line once again. The desperate Ince team illegally ripped the ball from the Atoms in a gang tackle resulting in another six tackles for Heysham team. With the Atoms in this mood they didn't need another six tackles to score, with Cambidge marking his return from 'retirement' with great try from half back. The conversion from Garnet made it 20-nil.

With the game safely won, the Atoms' concentration dipped slightly and allowed the Ince half back to scoot under the posts unopposed. The easy conversion made it 20-6 in the locals favour. An opportunistic try from the Ince with a kick over the Atoms line and clever re-gather saw Ince pull the score back to 20-10. The Atoms faithful in the crowd started checking their watches but nerves were finally settled when Steven Jackson 'big hit' his opposite winger and was supported by some enthusiastic Atoms defence to drag him the stunned winger into touch before he could hit the ground.

Dave McVernon made the game safe and completed his hat-trick from the resulting scrum.

Atoms: Randal Raines, Steven Jackson, Andy Garnet, Brian Cambidge, Gavin Winder, Andy Helme, Keith Hartlebury, Dave McVernon, Andy Aldren, Liam Hall, Gavin Helliwell, Scott Telford, Russell Birkett. Subs: Elliott Pyrah, Joe Pyrah, Shane Weed, Scott Needham

Next Saturday : Widnes Tigers (Home, Trimpell, KO 2.15PM)

Waterhead 46 Pilkington Recs A 20

Heysham Atoms 24 Ince Rose Bridge 10

Widnes Tigers 14 Leigh East 28

Leigh Miners Rangers 32 Blackbrook A 30

Crosfields 12 Eccleston Lions 24

Cadishead Rhinos 12 Wigan Keepers Bulldogs 8