Haresfinch 12 Shaw 32 THE final scoreline does scant justice to a brave performance by Finch against North West Counties League Division Three champions-elect Shaw.

There was little to choose between the sides for much of a fiercely-contested encounter and a couple of converted tries in the closing stages gave the Iestyn Harris-coached visitors a flattering victory margin.

Shaw opened up an early lead with two unconverted touchdowns, but Finch, with loose-forward Tony Seabrook and scrum-half Shaun Kilgannon to the fore, hit back in determined fashion.

Good work by Seabrook paved the way for a try by skipper Andy Hanley. And although the Oldham outfit replied with a converted try, Finch were right back in it when stand-off Damian Clitheroe re-gathered his own chip ahead to score under the posts and add the conversion.

A Seabrook penalty early in the second half narrowed the deficit to just two points, with Shaw clinging to a 14-12 lead. The next score at this stage was likely to prove crucial and when veteran player/coach Billy Platt marked his arrival on the pitch as substitute with a powerful thrust, Finch seemed certain to score.

But the move broke down and it was the visitors who increased their advantage against the run of play and with the aid of a contentious scrum decision in their favour awarded on the say-so of their own touch judge!

This knocked the stuffing out of Finch and the Oldham side added two lates tries to complete the scoring.

Tony Seabrook was outstanding for the losers, with good games also from Kilgannon, hooker Stuart Simmons, prop Danny Flynn and Hanley.

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