Wilmslow 35 Firwood Waterloo 32

A THRILLING contest at the Memorial Ground that went right down to the wire ended with Wilmslow maintaining their perfect start to the season.

In their first meeting with Firwood Waterloo for more than three decades, the Wolves almost lost the game at the death but visiting fly-half Alex Vowles-Bradley missed a penalty attempt that would have won the game.

Moments earlier, Bob MacCallum’s conversion of Tom Bull’s try for the hosts had taken them into the lead and it proved to be the decisive score.

After the game, Wilmslow coach Rick Jones praised his side’s discipline but called on them to take more opportunities if they are to avoid another close-run encounter.

“I don’t want to go through that again. At one stage, I thought I would need treatment from the defibrillator to keep me going!” he said.

“We made a fair few mistakes, took some wrong options, gave their runners too much space and missed a few chances.

“Through it all the side kept its discipline, kept patient and in the end they got their reward.”

Waterloo opening the scoring 10 minutes into the game when they counter-attacked and recycled possession for winger Jacob Allen to cross.

However, this stirred the Wolves into life and they forced a scrum in Waterloo territory straight from the restart.

After winning clean possession from it, James Coulthurst came in from his wing and slipped a neat short pass that sent Elliot Brierley over between the posts.

The hosts dominated the next half an hour but only came away with three MacCallum penalties for their efforts.

It became that, even when they created opportunities, the Wilmslow backs could not match their counterparts for pace to finish them off.

Scott Robson then went over for Waterloo’s second try, but Wolves led 16-14 at the interval.

The second half ebbed and flowed as both sides enjoyed spells of control, with Wilmslow’s Alex Taylor and Firwood’s Alwyn Watkins swapping tries, the latter coming after Connor Loomans was yellow-carded for the hosts.

Bull grabbed his first try of the game from a catch and drive, but Joe Randa replied in kind for the visitors.

It looked as if Waterloo had won the game when a neat kick was collected by Brad Cave to put his side 33-28 to the good.

However, after Waterloo failed to clear their lines, Wilmslow drove closer to the line and numerous phases ended with Bull’s match-winning score.