BEATEN BUT NOT DISGRACED
With a much changed team from last week due to unavailability and injury Colne took on league leaders Burnley at Holt House in front of a large crowd with supporters from both teams present.
The initial kick off by Burnley failed to go the 10 metres allowing Colne to have the first put in of the scrum and take the attack to Burnley. Colne got up to the 22 metre line before the ball went in to touch. Burnley won the first line out and slick passing involving all their backs resulted in their right winger racing for the try-line unopposed where he scored wide right. The try was unconverted.
Score: Colne 0 – Burnley 5.
Virtually from the kick off the Burnley side side-stepped their way through the Colne defence to score under the posts. Try converted. Score: Colne 0 – Burnley 12.
Colne pressed hard and were rewarded with a penalty on the Burnley 22 after Burnley were caught off-side at the ruck. Colne’s attempted kick drifted wide of the posts and following the re-start Burnley safely gathered the ball in and ran in again this time wide left for a further unconverted try.
Score: Colne 0 – Burnley 17.
Colne again pressed and a further penalty for off-side again drifted wide of the posts. Burnley added a 4th try wide left also unconverted. Score: Colne 0 – Burnley 22.
With the minutes ticking away Burnley were caught off-side again and Colne’s fly-half Jim Hargreaves steadied his nerve and slotted the ball home sweetly between the posts.
Score: Colne 3 – Burnley 22.
Half time whistle blown.
In the second half Colne were positive from the kick off but it soon became obvious that fly-half Hargreaves was having an off day with his kicking both place kicks and kicking out of hand. Strong running from the Colne no.9 Matty Tindall and good inter-passing between Colne’s forwards and backs took play towards the Burnley line which was thwarted by desperate lunging tackles by the Burnley side. For the next 20 minutes the game was played between the respective 22 metre lines both side suffering from either ball not too hand or knock on.
As the half ticked away Burnley put pressure on the Colne line to be thwarted by some strong tackling by the Colne side. With the pitch becoming littered by Colne players who had given their all Burnley were able to mount a charge and dropped over the line to score a further converted try. Score: Colne 3 – Burnley 29
Colne carried on attacking the Burnley side but were unable to take advantage of numerical numbers as Burnley lost players to yellow cards firstly for dissent and then a high tackle. Score remained Colne 3 – Burnley 29 at the death.
A defeat yes but not the ‘white wash’ they have inflicted on other teams in the league.