LYMM 32 – 29 LUCTONIANS
LUCS SUCCUMB TO LYMM FOR THEIR WIN DOUBLE
Lymm RFC vs Luctonians RFC
Saturday 25th April 2026 – Crouchley Lane
Match Report by Geoff Vickress
Lucs travelled to this, their final league game of the season, knowing that they had secured a play-off place irrespective of this result against Lymm, who had served them up a defeat in what was the first game of the current season at Mortimer Park.
But who would they be playing on May 9th ? There were some intriguing games elsewhere in both Nat1, and both Nat2 North and East, kicking off at the same time to decide their next opponents.
Options included a long distance visit back to the North East to play Tynedale, which looked to be the most likely; a possible trip to the East of England to play Oundle, or would it be Clifton or possibly a local derby against Birmingham Moseley, both in the dog fight to remain in Nat1. The following 80 minutes were to provide the answers.
Lucs started well, and scored in the first minute through Rob Aikman, when quick ball from a ruck gave scrum half Jonty Monk time to link up with Tom Jones at 10, whose long pass was taken by fullback Bryn Goodall at pace. His run into Lymm’s half and pass-out to wing, saw Rob Aikman easily run through to dot down before most players had seen the ball. The conversion was missed, for a 0-5 lead.
However, Lymm’s response was almost immediate when, following a couple of penalties awarded in Lucs redzone, Higginson was driven over under the posts. Shard converted, to put the home side in front at 7-5.
Ben Randell started for Lucs as hooker and had a fine game; he also had a spell at loose head later in the game. But he was unlucky soon afterwards, when he was adjudged to have been held up after he broke away from a driving maul and crossed the line. On 20 minutes, Jonty Monk was close to adding to the points tally too, but he was superbly tackled into touch near the try line by Lymm defence. Monk was to take no further part in the game from an injury sustained in the tackle, and was replaced by Josh Nott.
Quick thinking Lymm moved the ball swiftly down the park, and good work from their back line put Reynolds away to dot down, again under the posts, to increase their lead to 14-5 with Shard again converting. And it was Shard again knocking over a penalty in front of Lucs’ posts around the half hour, following Lucs indiscipline, to increase the home side’s lead to 17-5.
Rob Bengry reduced the margin after he crashed over from 10 metres out, soon after Lucs’ set piece scrum set up the back line to swiftly move the ball wide and stretch the home side’s defensive line. Tom Jones’ boot from the tee wasn’t polished again on this occasion, and the conversion was again missed, with a new scoreline of 17-10.
But, straight from the restart and with half time fast approaching, Lymm scored another try to increase their lead, when Heaton stole through a seemingly non-existent Lucs defence to score un-opposed. Another missed conversion saw the home side retire to the sheds at half time, leading 22-10.
Half Time Score
Lymm RFC 22 – 10 Luctonians RFC
The home side, in what was bright spring sunshine, gave their support more to cheer early in the second half, when they moved the ball calmly and gained good metres into Lucs territory, Lilley being the recipient to touch down. The conversion was missed, but a score of 27-10 started to look like a big uphill challenge for the Black and Whites if they were to get anything from the fixture.
Lucs immediately made changes and brought on, among others, established front row players Ben Link and Joe White. Their presence saw Lucs destroy a Lymm scrum, leaving their players spread out all over the ground. From the resultant penalty, and Lucs’ very reliable driving maul in the corner, Link was over the whitewash to reduce the deficit and, with Jones convertin, Lucs were back in with a shout at 27-17.
It was still an open game, with plenty of entertaining play from both sides giving the crowd much to enjoy, and the home side were to benefit from a charged down Josh Nott clearance kick close to Lucs try line, and Pitcher ran in from 5 metres to conclude the home side’s scoring on the hour (32-17).
What could Lucs do to respond and gain from the game with 20 minutes remaining? Starman Bob Bray had the answer, and squeezed over in the last 5 minutes; Jones converting with a swift drop kick to give Lucs a bonus point for 4 tries (32-24).
Then, with the clock running down, Bryn Goodall set off from Lucs 22, sprinting into the Lymm half before passing to wing Charlie Grimes, whose offload, in the tackle, back to Goodall saw him score the try of the game. It wasn’t converted, seeing a 32-29 home result for Lymm, who achieved a win double against the boys in Black and White.
Full Time Score
Lymm RFC 32 – 29 Luctonians RFC
Lucs will be disappointed with the scoreline but, as previously mentioned, it all now boils down to who they would face in the playoffs and, having lost this fixture, it seeded them at 4th in the fixture melee to decide who goes up from Nat2 or down from Nat1.
Oundle won their must-win game to get the trip to Tynedale on May 9th. This result will have done Lucs a favour in terms of travelling, as this now pits them against Birmingham Moseley, who scraped through to make the playoffs from Nat1 after beating Bishops Stortford by another 2 point margin, to relegate Clifton back to Nat2.
Details will appear in Lucsline and on Lucs Social Media in the next few days, and include how you might be able to support the boys at Moseley on May 9th.
Luctonians Man of the Match & Star Man
BOB BRAY
You can also watch a grandstand view of our tries HERE.