'Park's overeagerness and indiscipline gift the game to Wilmslow.

Broughton Park 22pts v 22pts Wilmslow

They say that a week in politics is a long time, a week in rugby is obviously not long enough for Broughton Park as they once again forgot that if penalties are given away in range of Bob McCallum, the Wilmslow fly half, then he will punish you. His total of 5 penalties and 1 conversion proved the point, as Wilmslow shared the spoils after having been out played for 60 mins of the game.

Park went 3 points behind after 2 mins as McCallum slotted his first penalty but were soon in the lead when Park won a line out and John Clifford, who had an excellent game, drove to the Wilmslow line and touched down for 5 points. Tom Mapp, back in Park colours after injury, coolly stepped up and slotted the conversion. In fact Tom Mapp was instrumental in supplying the highlights of the game as again and again he broke the gain line with exciting surges and changes of pace. It was from one of Mapp's surges that Park went further ahead when first Dave Rodgers continued the drive ahead and Mark Poole finished of the drive by dotting the ball down for 5 points. This time, veteran Simon Verbickas, suffering with a heavy cold, stroked over the extra points.

On the stroke of half time McCallum reduced the lead by converting a penalty to make the score 14 - 6 at half time. Immediately after half time, Tom Foden seized on a loose ball and sprinted half the length of the field with the whole of Wilmslow trailing in his wake to record his first Broughton Park try.

From that moment, with the score at 19 - 6 to Park, it seemed as though a self destruct button had been pushed and Park very nearly lost a game of which they were in total control.

After 50 mins Grant Little was yellow carded for a late tackle and Wilmslow began to gain an impetus which Park were unable to match.

McCallum kicked Wilmslow into the game and after Tom Mapp converted a solitary Park penalty, to give Park a 22 - 19 lead on the 80min mark, McCallum converted the final penalty to give Wilmslow a draw in the 90 min of time.

In conclussion, it was an exciting game and the Wilmslow spectators were highly delighted with the outcome. From a Park point of view many questions were still left unanswered, the question of discapline must be addresed as well as the question of leaving 2 players on the bench.

The forwards were being out scrummaged and being given a torrid time around the park in the final 20 minutes and not to introduce fresh legs at that stage (which Wilmslow did) will forever remain a mystery.

Rugby is now an 18 man, or more, game and substitutes are used to consolidate victories or change the flow of the game. There does not seem to be much point in having 3 substitutes unless they are to be used to consolidate or change the teams fortune.

Dave Walsh.