Senior Academy secure victory away at Bowden

Crewe and Nantwich Senior Academy 31 - Bowden 18's 29

Following the previous weekends victory at home, the Senior Academy travelled to Bowden with a team sheet showing 12 changes from the previous week. Showing the strength the Club have in depth throughout the Academy.

This was the first opportunity for many of the players having their first run out of the season, and for some, since last March due to the current pandemic.

The first 30 minutes showed some rustiness as Crewe struggled to gain any possession or impose their patterns of play on the game, on the contrary, Bowden looked sharp, scoring 4 tries without reply. Crewe's performance wasn't without endeavour, especially by Charlie Grinnell and Dan Mckenna, it just lacked the final killer pass, or right people in the right places at times. A few players were introduced of the bench for the final few minutes of the first half, scoring a well worked try from a line out, through Jarrad Priestly-Bird, converted by Logan Lynch - Half time 22 - 7 to the home team.

The second half started strongly, with a few more changes in personnel giving the lads, who had neglected pre-season, a well earned break. Crewe were now playing in the right parts of the pitch, and starting to get on top. Jacob Aston O'Donovan got his name on the score sheet making a break through the middle of the Bowden defence, again converted by Logan Lynch, who was having a superb cameo appearance with the boot - not missing a single kick at goal all day. It was Lynch who added to the try count shortly after, following a great defensive read by O'Donovan who disrupted a Bowden attack, kicked down field, gathered, then offloaded to the supporting player to cross the white wash.
Bowden fought back for a lengthy period, some heroic work by Jay Latham, Mottram & Lacey kept them at bay, but Bowden eventually worked a mismatch in mid-field chip ahead to score under the posts making the extras a formality.
What has shown over the last few weeks is resilience and not knowing when you're beaten defiantly isn't lacking within the squad, Crewe came back with a ferocity that Bowden couldn't match, causing them to concede penalty after penalty giving Crewe a great platform to unleash Josh Sourbutts, who powered over the line, to bring Crewe back within 1 point with 5 min to play 29 - 28, game on!!
The scene was set, who could hold their nerve? Who had the better discipline? Who wanted it more? Crewe held theirs - Bowden lost theirs, and the lads wanted it more. 30 seconds left to play, Bowden infringed 1 last time, 35 metres out, dead centre, Captain Luke Thomas called for a shot at goal which Lynch slotted without blinking. Great performance, great lesson for the squad, great win!!

Many thanks to Bowden for a great game, hospitality, and superb facilities - best of luck for the rest of the season.

Try Scorers - O'Donovan x 1, Priestley-Bird x 1, Lynch x 1, Sourbutts x 1
Conversions - Lynch x 4
Penalty - Lynch x 1