ONCE again a lack of experience and failure to turn possession into points combined to rob YMCA of victory in the third round of the EDF Senior Vase.
Two slightly suspect tries by the Merseysiders and poor ball retention by the visitors saw coach Carl Thewlis’ troubled team go down 15-3 on a wet and windy Wirral.
Both sides tried to throw the ball about, but at the half-hour mark the scores were locked at 3-3 with a Bennett penalty for Wirral being cancelled out by one from Gavin Stead, both coming from the same infringement, coming into the ruck from the side – a rule which young referee Dave Clarkson seemed only too familiar with!
Just ahead of half time, Mr Clarkson dismissed YM flanker Steve Anderson to the sin bin (for coming in from the side) and while down to 14, Wirral took advantage to move the ball out wide, and winger White squeezed over in the corner, although he was tackled into the corner flag before grounding the ball.
Bennett missed the conversion and YM stormed back into the game, putting the Wirral line under siege in the closing stages of the half.
Good work from Gareth Greenwood saw Stead held up just short of the line, and when the ball was switched across field, Ryder was also tackled 5m short.
The ball was released immediately to scrum half Ben Wolfe, who sent prop Wian van Niekirk over in the corner unopposed.
However, Mr Clarkson endeared himself further to the home fans when he disallowed the try as he had been unsighted and instead awarded a 5m scrum to YM which came to nothing as the half ended.
YMCA skipper James Bracken replaced Craig Coulson at the start of the second half, but his side were soon further behind.
Wirral knocked-on with the line open, but instead of clearing the danger, the home scrum half got a hand to Wolfe’s pass, which enabled the Wirral forwards to regain possession.
And although the stand-off appeared to knock-on, the referee again missed the offence, allowing centre Bennett to go under the posts, to which he also added the conversion.
Greenwood was causing the home defence all sorts of problems, but the clinical finishing was missing, illustrated after 65 minutes, when after making a brilliant arcing run down the left, he drew the full-back and fed on to a supporting player who spilled the pass with men outside him.
Wirral lost flanker Pearl (yellow carded for coming in from the side) but YM still could not find a way through, Wolfe being held up over the line, while Ryder was adjudged to have hit the corner flag – ironically – while touching down in the right corner.
YM had enough possession and field position to win the game, while Wirral had a couple of chances and took them.
Not for the first time this season, it’s been proved there is no substitute for experience.
YMCA: Stead, Belton (Williams 70), Greenwood, Hanson, Ryder; Sargeant, Wolfe, van Niekirk, Joblin, Gregson (Farringdon 75), Pearson, Housley, Anderson, Coulson (Bracken 40), Walker. Sub not used: Marshall.
