Tarleton return to action with win over Garstang

After what seems an eternity Tarleton managed to get a game of rugby in (the first since the 5th. December)  and entertained Garstang First XV at Carr Lane on Saturday.

Tarleton started relatively well and it was following some good pressure by the forwards and some quick recycling of the ball that saw Tom Crowe go over for the first try of the afternoon which was well converted by Aiden Miller and Tarleton were ahead 7-0.

Tarleton continued to pressurise and two rolling mauls made it over the Garstang  line but were both ‘held up’ by good defensive work. On the third attempt Tarleton sucked in the Garstang defenders to cover another rolling maul and Tarleton shifted the ball wide for George Skofic to crash over in the corner for his first of the afternoon. The conversion was missed but after 25 minutes play Tarleton led 12-0.

Garstang came back at Tarleton and camped in their 22 for a period but Tarletons’ defence thwarted any chance of them crossing the whitewash.

Tarleton made good ground up the pitch with some good forwards and back inter-lay and the next try came from the back of a maul in Garstangs 22 when Jonathon Mahon sold the most outrageous dummy and cut through the Garstang defence, his attempted sidestep saw him slip on the wet surface but he managed to pass the ball out to the on-rushing Tom Eckersley who went in under the posts.  Aiden Miller’s conversion was good and Tarleton now led by 19-0.

Tarleton were briefly down to 14 men when Frankie Nickson was binned for an off the ball incident but Garstang could not make this advantage pay and Tarleton managed to deal with every attack that came their way. Indeed from a clearance following a Tarleton breakout the ball was gathered by George Skofic who put in a high kick and was on hand to scragg the Garstang full back as he caught it! The ball was turned over and a quick pass to Jonathon Mahon and a deft slip pass from him to Liam Thompson saw him slide in to score the last try of the half, the conversion was again good and at half time Tarleton led 26-0.

Tarleton made a few changes for the second half and Garstang decided to dispense with their kicking game and kept the ball in hand during their attacks which made them a much more potent force. It was Garstang who exerted the early pressure and they kept the ball in Tarletons’ 22 for long periods of the 3rd. quarter but from an attacking scrum Tarleton forwards drove the Garstang pack backwards and turned the ball over. The ball was rapidly passed along the back line and it left Liam Thompson with a 20 metre dash along the touch line to score a good try.

At 31-0 Tarleton decided that they had done enough and stopped playing for 10 minutes allowing Garstang too much time and space in this period. They ran in 2 quick tries and converted one of them to bring the score to 31-12 and it was Garstang who were in the ascendency.

Some words of advice were issued from the touchline and Tarleton stepped up their game agai, A great break and kick through by Jake Abram was collected by George Skofic who crashed over for his hat-trick, the conversion was again slotted and Tarleton led by 38-12.

The final score came from another good drive by the forwards and with the Garstang defence going backwards Jonathon Mahon took the ball blind and raced in from 15 metres to score an unconverted try to seal the game at 43-12.