Waterloo are beaten by Blaydon

Apr 30 2009 by Our Correspondent, Crosby Herald

Waterloo are beaten by Blaydon

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WITH a remote, though technically possible, threat of relegation to be eliminated, Blaydon took no chances against a 19-man Waterloo squad weakened by injuries, rattling up seven tries and 45 points after only 35 minutes to put the game out of the Merseysiders' reach.

It looked as though another painful humiliation was on the cards, but Waterloo decided to go down with their heads up.

As they finally started to win more possession they moved the ball at every opportunity, resulting in a try under the posts by Neil Kerfoot, converted by Liam Reeve, on the stroke of half-time.

The second half score, 38-26, was a fairer indication of the qualities of the two teams, both of which drove themselves into exhaustion with exciting end-to-end running rugby as Blaydon scored six more tries and Waterloo four.

Winger Matt Williams celebrated being voted Waterloo's Young Player of the Year by the club's supporters last week by scoring his second hat-trick of the season, one of them a curving run from 60 metres out that started on the left touchline and finished to the right of the posts as he beat then outpaced half-a-dozen defenders.

Waterloo's other try was scored by man-mountain and player-coach Martin O'Keefe, who took a pass in open play inside the 22 and charged the posts festooned with Blaydon players to reach out and touch the ball down on the line as he was brought down a couple of feet short. Blaydon's initial blitz was made partly possible the outstanding play of winger Andrew Fenby and fly-half Rory Clegg. Both have been signed by premiership clubs for next season and Blaydon will feel their loss: Waterloo's revival in the game was undoubtedly helped by Fenby going off injured after 38 minutes, followed by Clegg 23 minutes into the second half.

But Waterloo also suffered injuries, with Player of the Year Martin Bell leaving the field after half an hour, to be followed five minutes later by runner-up Peter Ince.

Injuries to Sean Gibney and Dan Hall ensured that all four substitutes were used, with only the outstanding young Carl Nolan, promoted from the Colts only this season, surviving the whole game in the back row.

Waterloo take a break this coming Saturday before finishing off their campaign finish away to Cinderford. Next season they will join the likes of Fylde, Preston Grasshoppers, Caldy, Kendal and Macclesfield in the newly constituted National Two North, none no more than an hour's drive away.