Match Preview

The first home game of the 2017-18 season is this Saturday against newly promoted Tyldesley.
In winning South Lancashire/Cheshire 2, and losing only three games all season, they returned to the division that they had left in 2014.

Games against Tyldesley have traditionally been competitive. Few Anselmians will remember the infamous game at Tyldesley in the early 1970s, which passed into folklore for the wrong reasons, but many will remember our visit in March 2011.

Riding high in the League and unbeaten all season, Anselmians arrived confident that they could do the double over their Lancastrian hosts. (They had won the earlier game at Eastham 23-7.) Tyldesley were also having a good season, (they would finish third), and ambushed Anselmians.
In a feisty encounter, Tyldesley won 26-25, and it was the only game Anselmians would lose on their way to North One West. The 1000 plus points they scored that season were scant consolation for the loss that day.

Last week, Tyldesley began their campaign with a home win, 24-7, against Manchester Medics who, like us, fought a season-long fight to avoid relegation.

Last Saturday at Southport, Anselmians, despite trailing 3-26 at half-time and being reduced to 14 men, produced a remarkable second half performance to rival anything in recent history and prevailed 20-19, courtesy of a late penalty kick.

Obviously, Anselmians will be confident after last week’s heroics, but must but careful not to let that victory (the first on the first day of the season since 2015) to develop too much ambition.
Last week’s victory was based on defence; there is still work to be done on the attacking phase of their game.