Game, Set and Matched

Author: Iain Fletcher
Publisher: High Stakes
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IAIN FLETCHER

that really would have killed the game - and from that error Salford went the length of the field and scored.

It was only six points and Warrington were still in the lead but I felt distraught - disgusted even. It was a 12 point swing because Varkulis only had to put the bloody egg down and it would have been 0-16 or 0-18; now it was 6-12 and a visibly flagging Salford side were suddenly charging into tackles and spinning the ball round the field like the Harlem Globetrotters. The money that I had mentally chalked back into my account was, like the PoWs in the Great Escape, trying to find Charlie Tunnel.

The way it was going it looked like being an even match at half-time, Salford were camped on the Warrington line and kept forcing another set of six tackles - in short they were retaining the ball and surely going to score.

As the seconds ticked down to the half-time hooter Salford passed the ball wide to the left and Gavin Clinch popped a flat pass for the runner, but he wasn't there

Well he was but after Briers who intercepted the ball and started a 90 metre chase to the Salford end.

'yeeesssss! run, you beautiful tubby bastard. ruuuu-unnnnnn:

Briers is a talent, an absolute skills man but he is not the swiftest sprinter, but did he need to be - after all he had a 10-yard head-start?

It was like Smokey and the Bandit as he charged down field, white shirted chasers catching up with him but never quite quickly enough.

As he dived over in the corner I collapsed on a beanbag and exhaled long and hard. I was more knackered from cheering him and celebrating than if I had run the 90 metres myself with the hordes of hell in pursuit.

And over went the conversion to restore the 12-point lead. Thirty seconds before it looked like it would be 12-12 at half time and Fletch a nervous, neurotic wreck But, and how apt is this, a gamble by Briers had made mine look a damned sight safer.

I don't think they heard me during the interval but I did conduct a half-time team-talk for their benefit.

II