Armstrong’s golden boot kicks in as Ormskirk beat Wigan 22-18

Oct 9 2008 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

Armstrong’s golden boot kicks in as Ormskirk beat Wigan 22-18

ORMSKIRK recorded their third successive home victory of the season after a nail-biting win against Wigan on Saturday.

John Armstrong scored all the home side’s points which included a converted try and five penalties.

Kirk started in positive fashion as some sustained pressure from the kick-off caused Wigan to infringe in front of their own posts, allowing Armstrong to slot over the three points.

Helped by a strong wind at their backs,Ormskirk pinned Wigan back in their own 22 for the next 10 minutes and further pressure from Kirk’s pack allowed Armstrong the room to jink his way under the posts.

But having raced to a 10-point lead, Kirk were guilty of a lack of concentration as a break down the blind side by Wigan’s Number 8, Mark Lloyd, led to them touching down in the corner.

Kirk responded well to Wigan’s score, although some good opportunities were spurned as the home side’s backline tried to take advantage of the helpful conditions.

Armstrong was able to knock over two further penalties before half-time, giving Ormskirk a 16-7 lead.

Faced with the task of defending their lead while playing into the strong, blustery wind in the second-half, Ormskirk’s pack produced a fine effort to maintain their advantage.

Andy Healey, playing at full-back, was secure under the high ball and some crunching defence from Matt Johnson, Ben Davis and Glyn Roberts helped repel the Wigan onslaught.

Two further penalties from the boot of Armstrong gave Ormskirk a 22-10 lead going into the final quarter before a comedy of errors gifted Wigan an easy penalty and then a try in quick succession, which set up a nail-biting finish.

Crucially, Wigan failed to convert their second try of the match, meaning they would need to cross the line again to snatch victory. But some heroic defence in the final minutes helped Kirk cling on for a well deserved win.

Ormskirk’s 2nd XV recorded an impressive 23-15 victory at Wirral. Paul Morton and Ben McCarthy crossed for tries while Barry Whalley added 13 points with the boot.

The 3rd XV were beaten at Caldy although four tries from Luke Parker helped the 4th XV record a 34-31 victory against Fylde.