Rewarding weekend for Wirral clubs (From Wirral Globe)

Rewarding weekend for Wirral clubs

12:13pm Monday 25th February 2013 in Sport By Andrew Stratton

IT WAS a rewarding Saturday for the top two Wirral rugby union clubs.

Caldy registered win number 11 in National Two North League 42-21 at the expense of visiting Hull and Birkenhead Park came away 15-9 to the good from Percy Park in National Three North to boost hopes of avoiding relegation.

An entertaining clash at Paton Field produced eight tries in all with five of them to the home side.

Lowly Hull never threw in the towel but Caldy despite a third quarter wobble after a 15-0 interval advantage did not look like losing. JJ Dickinson, Adam Agbokhae, Andy Soutar and Gavin Roberts crossed.

There was also a penalty try while Richard Vasey kept the scoreboard ticking with four of the conversions, a brace of penalties and a drop goal.

Hull added the goals to their three touch downs. Craig Smithson was handed the Caldy Star Player award.

Birkenhead Park produced a resolute display away to Percy Park. They had been unlucky to lose the home clash against the north east side and this was hard earned sweet revenge.

They remain third bottom in the table but at least now there is an outside chance of  survival.

It was an excellent all round display by Park spierheaded by the front-row contribution of Matt Ibbotson, Stu Brown and Martin O'Keefe.

Brown was the hero with a hat-trick of tries, the first from a driving maul, the second from a line-out and the third from a ruck.

None was converted but happily it did not prove costly. The visitors held their line intact and restricted the home outfit to two first-half penalties and another in the third quarter.

Wirral gained an excellent 35-22 success over Widnes at Clatterbridge which puts them fifth in the division.

Hoylake enjoyed a 22-11 victory at Winnington Park in South Lancashire/Cheshire One. They are now fifth but have played more matches than the clubs around them.

Wallasey achieved an important 25-13 win over visiting Ormskirk in Division Two which puts them seven points clear of the bottom three.

Port Sunlight maintained hopes of the Division Three title with a crushing 64-0 result away to Knutsford but Oxton Parkonians found second placed Manchester Medics too strong and went under 0-31.

Local clubs without a game included New Brighton, Oldershaw, Prenton and Ellesmere Port.

It is an away day for the majority of local clubs this coming Saturday. Caldy head for Darlington Mowden Park and Birkenhead Park take the road to Kendal.

Wirral are due at Altrincham Kersal and New Brighton at Warrington. Others on their travels are Oldershaw to Marple, Oxton Parkonians to Capenhurst and Port Sunlight to Trentham.

Local matches include Anselmians v Kirby Lonsdale, Hoylake v Wigan, Wallasey v Buxton and Ellesmere Port v Liverpool University.

Prenton do not have a league engagement this weekend.