| TEENAGER Tom Connick turned in an eye-catching display on his debut as Recs opened the new season with a victory. Connick, who has come through of the City Road youth system and recently toured Australia with the Great Britain Community Lions under 18s, scored a spectacular interception touchdown and created two tries. It was an afternoon when Recs rather huffed and puffed in the stifling heat but with skipper Ste Rawsthorne also influential they had enough in the tank to see off the determination of the promoted visitors. Both sides spurned golden chances in the opening stages by dropping the ball over the trylines. 
But after he had an early spell in the sin-bin following a play-the-ball infringement, it was Connick who sparked Recs into life. His neat footwork created an opening before supplying a pass to the strong running Ste Charlston who touched down under the posts. Rawsthorne converted to make it 6-0 at half time and that lead was extended early after the break when Connick intercepted deep inside his own half and raced 80-metres to touchdown. On the whole, Recs’ defence was solid but some sloppiness from a kick let the Widnesians over. There was clearly some early season rustiness in the home side’s attack, but the sheer weight of pressure attacking down the slope proved too much. First prop Richard Rafferty charged over, before the increasingly influential Rawst horne dashed beneath the posts. Connick drew in the defenders before sending centre Daryl Lacey sprinting to the tryline, with Rawsthorne slotting his third conversion of the contest. Rawsthorne was the Commhoist man of the match while Connick landed the C&S Tyres players’ player matchday award. |