Birkenhead Park Panthers women's rugby team return to the paddock for their second outing of the season against Northwich Ladies at the Upper Park

A crowd in excess of 130 braved the showery conditions on Sunday 4th October 2009 to see Birkenhead Park Panthers women's rugby team return to the paddock for their second outing of the season against Northwich Ladies at the Upper Park. These hardy souls were duly rewarded for their commitment to the Panthers' cause with a comprehensive 41-5 victory for the home side.

As the first quarter drew to a close it was apparent that the visitors were becoming more than a little bit uneasy with the way the Panthers had steadfastly refused to roll over and allow the more experienced side the run of the pitch which they appeared to believe ought to have been theirs by right. The confidence gained by the home side during the first quarter siege came to the fore immediately after the start of the second quarter when the Panthers back division decided to attempt an audacious counter attack from deep inside their own half. Following good turnover ball won by the scavenging back row the half backs transferred the ball with lovely hands to the centres who shipped the ball on to the left winger Kate Ibbotson. The inside backs had not been able to create any space for Ibbotson out wide but this minor inconvenience failed to deter her. She simply decided that if there was no space available to run around her opposite number, she would simply run right through her. And over her. Without once breaking stride. Thankfully, Ibbotson's opposite number was able to regain her feet, but not her composure nor her faculties and was ultimately withdrawn from the fray. It is clear that Ibbotson's physical and mental prowess will stand her and the Panthers in good stead and that, if used correctly, she will be a devastating strike runner.
The much vaunted Panthers' rucking game came to life as the second quarter continued and the Northwich side found it difficult to stem the flow of possession and position enjoyed by the now dominant home side. Such was the pressure exerted by the Panthers that the Northwich team lost their discipline completely and a series of high challenges resulted in a yellow card being shown to the Northwich centre. Her disgust at the referee's decision was clear for all to see and the guantlet laid down as she departed the field is one that the Panthers shall relish picking up in the return fixture later in the season. Immediately from the penalty following the yellow card infringement the Panthers worked the ball wide to the right wing were debutante Jo Forrest showed incisive finishing to convert what was no more than a half chance into a fantastic try in the right hand corner. The try was warmly received by the banks of jubilant supporters who thronged the clubhouse steps.
Sadly, the excellent blind side wing forward Amy Hopper suffered a fracture of her left shoulder in the build up to the try and is likely to be out of action for the next 8 weeks. All the Panthers wish Amy a speedy recovery and cannot wait to see her back out on the paddock.
The conversion went narrowly wide of the left upright and the first half drew to a close with the Panthers 5-0 to the good.
The third quarter saw more of the same with the Panthers immediately on the offensive. The lineout started functioning more effectively and this solid first phase ball allowed the backs to run a training ground dummy switch pop from fly half which saw Ashleigh Neale break through the visitors' defence and dot down nonchalantly under the posts. Fly half Delmaine added the extras and the Panthers were flying. A maraudering rumble from the forwards set up a chance for back row replacement Rachael Broadhurst to power over from close range to put some daylight between the teams.
However, much to their credit, the Northwich side responded to these setbacks by upping their game and a series of raids down the left flank culminated in a try for the visitors despite the valiant efforts of scrum half Jenny McNally. This score gave Northwich the fillip they required and the Panthers were forced onto the defensive for a period of time. Susie Goligher, Tansy Stewart and Sam Hillas tackled any black shirt within reach and Goligher finally extinguished the Northwich hopes of a revival with a double tackle followed by a carry and delightful offload.
The fourth quarter allowed the massed ranks of Panthers' supporters to enjoy a procession of tries as 4 further scores were ran in. The ubiquitous Broadhurst added a further 2 to her earlier score and centre Gaynor McNally rounded off a lovely handling move which had its beginnings in magnificent counter rucking by the now dominant home pack. The scoring was brought to an end by a long range effort from captain Jess Whitehead in the dying moments of the game. At the final whistle the Panthers showed their appreciation for the support received by undertaking a weary, but happy, run past the appreciative crowd.
There was a certain degree of discord after the game from the Northwich team but the situation was remedied by the excellent hospitality shown to the visitors by the Panthers. The Panthers accept that their superior playing numbers materially affected the outcome of the match, but they will not apologise for being fitter than their opposition. The Panthers know that the pain of training lasts a night, but the pain of losing lasts a lifetime. The Panthers know that winning costs, and they are happy to pay for those wins in sweat. The Panthers, on this performance, are heading in the right direction but are aware that the task will only get harder and the level of effort and commitment will need to increase with each passing week. There is nothing to suggest that the Panthers will not be equal to this task and there is every indication that they will continue on, "cituis, altuis, fortius".