Crewe & Nantwich Senior Academy team edged a thrilling contest with Bowdon U18s by 31-29.
The Vagrants side travelled to Bowdon with a team sheet showing 12 changes from the previous week.
And it was the first chance for many of the players having their first run out of the season.
The first 30 minutes showed some rustiness as Crewe struggled to gain any possession or impose their patterns of play on the game.
On the contrary, Bowdon looked sharp, scoring four tries without reply.
Crewe’s performance wasn’t without endeavour, especially by Charlie Grinnell and Dan Mckenna.
It just lacked the final killer pass, or right people in the right places at times.
A few players were introduced from the bench for the final few minutes of the first half, and Crewe scored a well worked try from a line out, through Jarrad Priestly-Bird, converted by Logan Lynch.
It made the half time score 22-7 to Bowdon.
After the break, Crewe played in the right parts of the pitch, and started to get on top.
Jacob Aston O’Donovan got his name on the scoresheet, making a break through the middle of the Bowdon defence, again converted by Logan Lynch, who was having a superb cameo appearance with the boot – not missing a single kick at goal all day.
It was Lynch who added to the try count shortly after, following a great defensive read by O’Donovan who disrupted a Bowdon attack, kicked down field, gathered, then offloaded to the supporting player to cross the white wash.
Bowdon fought back for a lengthy period, some heroic work by Jay Latham, Mottram and Lacey kept them at bay.
But the hosts did work a mismatch in mid-field chip ahead to score under the posts making the extras a formality.
Crewe showed resilience and fighting spirit, and they came back with a ferocity that Bowdon couldn’t match.
Bowdon conceded penalty after penalty, giving Crewe a great platform to unleash Josh Sourbutts, who powered over the line to bring Crewe back within a point with 5 minutes to play at 29-28.
And in a dramatic ending, Crewe held their nerve while Bowdon lost theirs.
With 30 seconds left to play, Bowdon infringed one last time, 35 metres out.
Captain Luke Thomas called for a shot at goal which Lynch slotted without blinking.
Try Scorers – O’Donovan x 1, Priestley-Bird x 1, Lynch x 1, Sourbutts x 1
Conversions – Lynch x 4
Penalty – Lynch x 1
(Pics – Dan Mckenna secures excellent lineout ball; team regrouping at half time led by Luke Thomas)
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