Saturday 30th March 2002
NATIONAL CONFERENCE LEAGUE DIV 2
KEIGHLEY ALBION 23 MILLOM 2

They saved the best till last as Albion blew away the challenge of visitors Millom in their final home League game of the season at Cougar Park, and indeed the final Conference game.

Albion started off well enough taking the game to the visitors, but Millom had other ideas and had the better of the early exchanges as they sprayed the ball about in cavalier fashion on the large Cougar pitch. They then took the lead when Albion committed the usual sin by giving away a penalty for a head high tackle in front of the posts, Milloms hooker Graham Lupton converting the penalty goal to give Millom an early 2 point lead on 15 minutes.

The Keighley side stuck to their guns and a storming run from Ben Farrar into the heart of the defence and had Millom on the back foot but poor handling saw the attack peeter out on the last tackle. From the turn over Millom attacked the Albion defence and on the last tackle Paul Evans kicked the ball deep into Albion’s 22 area, but Kris Kirk brought the ball out of defence putting Albion back on to the attack, Ian Spencer and Adam Lilley were making good yards to help set up a platform for the backs and this led to a score for Albion as Andy Parker used all his experience to send Chris Atkins in for a well taken try, Kris Kirk added the goal to put Albion into the lead with a score line of Albion 6 points to Milloms 2 points in the 20 minute mark.

Mark Adams was dictating play for Albion from the stand off role both through the forwards and the backs. However Millom were not beaten yet and more good play from Dave Nugent and Paul Lupton took them close to scoring, but Albion’s defence was sound with Steve Wrench and Ben Farrar in the thick of the action. Ben Farrar went close again following another storming run, this time Albion were not going to be denied a score and this came about following a high bomb kick from Mark Adams that the Millom full back Paul Wilson was put to ground and the ever alert Steve Wrench was on hand to scoop up the loose ball before sending in Kris Kirk for a try under the posts, Kris Kirk also added the goal to give a score line of Albion 12 points to Milloms 2 on the 37^th minute mark.

Millom came back at Albion in the last few minutes of this half, but Albion were not ready to give anything away at this time. Half Time score was Albion 12 points – Millom 2. Albion had worked hard in this half playing good open rugby and for a change had not given into the hard working Cumbrian side who were giving Albion a run for their money.

Playing down the slope in the 2^nd half Albion were soon on the attack and they increased their lead when Millom were penalized for a head high tackle, Kris Kirk converting the goal to shoe a score of Albion 14- Millom 2 on the 42 minute marker. Millom were not out of the hunt yet and came back strongly at Albion, and were unlucky not to score when a high kick bounced away from there chasing winger.

But back came Albion with Kris Kirk and Ben Farrar to the fore and some good Albion pressure was rewarded when Kris Kirk booted over a drop goal to increase Albion’s lead by 15 points to 2 in the 49^th minute. Milloms Paul Lupton and Tony Dixon were always looking for gaps in the Albion defence but were kept at bay with some sound defensive play by Martin Fryers and Kris Kirk.

Albion then turned defence into attack and on the last tackle of the set Mark Adams coolly dropped a goal that took the score for Albion 16 points to Milloms 2 points on 55 minutes. Simon Marsden back from injury was proving a hard player to stop when in full flight and caused the Millom defenders big problems when he ran from deep positions taking on all comers, and this set up a platform for another attack that ended with another Mark Adams drop goal to make the score Albion 17 – Millom 2 on the 60 minute mark.

But the biggest cheer went up in the 65^th minute when Biddy chased a lost cause ball into the Millom 10 metre area only to see the visitors winger Andy Walker fumble the ball allowing him to send Kris Kirk on a run across the back of the posts to score a try, he also tagged on the goal for good measure to put Albion firmly in control with the score board showing Albion 23 points to Milloms 2 points.

Millom were still trying to add to their score despite having had their prop Alan Sanderson sent to the bin for punching in the tackle. They continued to push Albion back with some good kicking from Paul Evans deep into the 22 area, but Albion were not about to give it all away at this stage of the game.

Big games from Man of the Match Mark Adams and players- players Steve Wrench and Ben Farrar plus 17 points from Kris Kirk had seen a great team effort rewarded with the first league win of the season. For Millom no one had worked harder than their Man of the Match Dave Nugent with Paul Lupton and Tony Dixon not far behind.

It had been a game with everything included with both sides playing attractive open rugby, but Milloms bigger pack had succumbed to Albion’s six, who had set the platform for a well earned 1^st win to record 2 points on the final league table. The final score from Cougar Park was Albion 23 points – Millom 2 points.
Terry Caddy.

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