The Reds went down to two tries in the last 10 minutes in a game that could have gone either way. Both sides scored 5 tries but the kicking of Shard proved to be the difference on the day.

On a bitterly cold day in the North West the home side kicked off proceedings on their artificial pitch. Lymm should their intentions from minute one moving the ball around at pace but the Reds defence was strong and they forced a penalty to get on the front foot with a lineout on the home 22. Another penalty followed soon after which went to the corner and the Reds maul did the business for a Tom Cowan-Dickie try well converted by Angus Mawson from wide out to put the Reds 7 up in as many minutes. Soon after the restart a great Reds move took play to the Lymm line, the home side cleared but the Reds ran the ball back and almost added a second try. A penalty in front of the posts seemed to offer Mawson a certain 3 points but the kick rebounded back off the upright. The Reds stayed on top with a lineout some 7 metres from the line but the lineout was lost. Lymm now got into the Reds 22 and won a penalty, for a high tackle, that was converted by Thomas Shard to pull back 3 points. A Lymm knock-on gifted the Reds a 5-metre scrum but a scrum penalty went to the home side. Lymm now went ahead, from a lineout in the 22 the maul was stopped but Isaac Millachip ran a great line to cut through the Reds defence for a converted try on 26 minutes. The Reds soon went back in front, from a scrum just outside the home 22 a loop play around Sam James left Mawson a stroll in to the line for a try Dean Wills converted to put the Reds 4 points up on the half hour. Lymm now scored a cracking try, after a number of phases they moved the ball to the right and some clever passing and a late switch offered right wing Patrick Jennings a run to the posts for a converted try. The Reds though finished the half on fire. Running back a Lymm clearance from his own 10 metre line Wills sliced through the home defence and threw out a superb long pass to Jack Counter who flew into the left had corner for an unconverted try (the conversion just slipping wide). There was still time for the Reds to add another, fielding a clearance kick on the Lymm 10 metre they ran the ball back stressing the home defence. Finally, after a number of quick plays Luke Barnes stormed onto the ball to go over near the posts for converted try on the stroke of halftime.
Half-time: Lymm 17 – 26 Redruth

Redruth started the second period as they finished the first zipping the ball around at great pace putting the home sides defence under severe pressure but without adding to their tally. Lymm had some possession now in the visitors 22 but the Reds defence was strong. A penalty gave the Reds a lineout some 10 metres from the line and another penalty took them to 5 metres. The maul was unstoppable and Connor Triggs came up with the ball for an unconverted try. The Reds were now 14 points clear on 54 minutes. Lymm quickly cut the deficit, some good rugby got them into the 22 and a penalty went to 5-metres. The Lymm maul went over in the corner for try well converted by Shard to make it a 7-point game. A long-range penalty soon after for the Reds went just wide. Lymm now got on the attack but a swinging arm felled Wills who had to leave the field and Jack Stride for Lymm was shown a yellow card and was perhaps fortunate the card wasn’t of a different colour. The home side made light of their man disadvantage however and from a scrum in their own 22 they launched a multiphase move that saw the ball zipping around between backs and forwards and finally ended with a try under the post for Oliver Higginson. The conversion tied the scores with 7 minutes remaining. A Lymm clearance from the restart was taken by Nat Dart who seemed to have been dangerously taken out in the air but play was allowed to continue, Lymm picked up the pieces and stormed downfield. A grubber kick through seemed to be covered but Cormac Nolan pounced for an unconverted try to put the home side ahead with only 5 minutes left. Lymm were able to see out time for the victory.

The Reds will be disappointed with the way the last quarter of the match went but two point on a ground that has seen Lymm the home side victorious in all but one of their matches is not a disastrous result.
Next Saturday the Reds return to the grass of the Recreation ground where they take on Syston with a 3pm kick-off.

Lymm
Tries: Millachip, Jennings, Makin, Higginson, Nolan.
Conv: Shard (4).
Pen: Shard.
Yellow Card: Jack Stride

Redruth
Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Mawson, Counter, Barnes, Triggs.
Conv: Mawson, Wills (2).

Referee: Owen Taylor
Assistant Referees: Adam Carpenter & Leo Burton.