Bolton Mets run in 10 tries to secure first win of season in fine style

Having suffered a heavy 74-0 defeat at Waterhead Warriors the previous weekend, Mets bounced back with hooker Steve Hickey scoring four tries while Steven Harrison (2), Jonathan McMillan, Gareth Hession, Chris Clarke and Shaun Watson also touched down.

Chris Clarke kicked seven conversions with McMillan adding a further two.

It was a first meeting between the sides and one to remember for Mets who also scored their first points of the campaign having lost 34-0 in their season opener against Ashton Bears.

A very even opening period saw the teams exchange two tries apiece, Hickey crossing for his first of the afternoon while Harrison scored his first for the club – cleverly dummying the full back to go over near the posts.

Halton hit back on each occasion and narrowly trailed 12-10

With the half progressing, Bolton started to gain control and the returning Callum Smith was playing a huge part and made tremendous inroads into the Halton half.

A third Mets try arrived following an off-the-cuff play where the ball was offloaded several times before McMillan reached out to score.

Mets scored a fourth just before the break when the returning Hession, playing his first game since 2018, scored a memorable first try for the club when he went on a solo run, evading several tackles to touch down.

Mets led 24-10 at the break and head coach Al Scarbrough freshened things up and introduced Adam Woods and debutant Shaun Watson at the start of the second half.

Despite normally playing on the wing, Woods played at loose forward with Watson deployed further out wide.

Darren Robinson Snr was also on hand to help rotate between props Gavin Corfield and Michael Farrington.

Bolton were fully in control but needed a fifth try to cement that supremacy and it arrived through scrum half Clarke who was released by Mark Dorning and breezed past the Halton full back to score.

Mets continued to carry the ball forward to make great metres – Tom Bradley, Darren Cosgrove, Lewis Howard and Harvey Stigwood all doing their bit – which set the platform for the next two scores.

A kick from McMillan on the last tackle was perfectly weighted to hold up in the in goal area and Harrison dived on the loose ball to double his tally. The next try was also scored from a kick, McMillan again the architect and Hickey beat teammate Lewis Howard in a foot race for his second try to open up a 40-10 lead.

Halton only had two players on the bench at the start of the game and now they were down to a bare 13 but they still had enough about them to score a third try to slightly close the gap.

But only briefly as Mets responded with a sixth try when Clarke put Cosgrove through a gap who, in turn, found the supporting Hickey who went in to complete his hat-trick.

Scorer then turned provider, Hickey unselfishly passing the ball on to Watson who grabbed a debut try.

Despite starring defeat in the face, Simmies showed character to score a fourth try.

But Mets were always going to have the final say and, fittingly it was Hickey who had it as he made it a personal haul of 16 points when he dived over for his fourth try of the game.

Hickey was rightly awarded opposition man of the match and was also named top tackler, quite the day for Mr. Hickey. Coming in second and third respectively in MOM was, Chris Clarke and Steven Harrison, whilst Callum Smith throughly deserves a mention for his ball carries and tackling tallies.

Bolton Mets are up against another new opponent next when they travel to Cheshire to take on Runcorn but will go in to the game with high spirits following the impressive victory.