When you travel to Wigan for some Rugby League some things are pretty much guaranteed. You know your opponents are going to give you one heck of a game and you know there’ll be some pretty decent pies in the clubhouse afterwards.  And it certainly seemed Stanley had forgotten the former and had the latter in mind as the boys from Spring View kicked off and scored a try in less than 10 seconds.

This kind of set the tone and for the next 30 minutes or so with Spring View being all over our boys like a pie crust. Where were the solid performances we have seen in recent weeks? Knock ons? Yes. Players in-touch? Affirmative.  A set of six? Hmmmm. By half time, Spring View had managed to serve up no less than 28 points and only the beef of Loose Forward, Sean Craven, had secured points for Stanley as he powered over the defences for a well earned try.

Now the second course couldn’t have been more different as the Stanley boys took stock of the dish they had just been served. Coach, Oli Winter, like a gourmet chef, had tinkered with the ingredients a little – more pepper and less stodge – that kind of thing. And what a transformation he made!

Phil Hardy-Dearness when moved from hooker to centre, cheekily caught a high ball and zipped around pitch, grabbing yards. Then Spring View, still unused to the pressure, succumbed to a scoot from George Guy, who took the first points of the second half. Full-back, Nathan Winter converted the try and Stanley was, at last, looking like Masterchef and not Little Chef.

The second row tackling machines, Dean Harding and Danny Stretton, were as solid as a family sized pork pie – only no-one from Spring View had any appetite for a second bite. The Prop Forwards, Connor Willis and Ross Swarbrick, took turns to roll through Spring View territory.  Swarbrick made at least sixty yards by swatting away challenges from Spring View as he went.

The Wing and Centre combos of Ben Hindley /George Guy and Matt Webster/Olly Tribe were now working together better than steak and kidney. And when stepping in as prop and centres, Matt Stelfox, Harry Kenyon and Harry Trask were like the Gravy, HP Sauce and Peas that lift a Wigan culinary experience from tasty to sublime.

As the match was drawing to a close, Stand-off, Danny Siddal and Scrum Half Jordan Hindley were putting the meatiest Spring View players through the mincer.  Hindley, at last, lived up to his reputation as a try factory as he popped the ball down between the posts to leave Winter with any easy conversion. In the last few minutes it was looking like Stanley might even up the scores.

However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  As the final whistle went, whilst Spring View had failed to score at all in the second-half and were nursing more than their fair share of injuries, Stanley had failed to overcome the deficit.  They left the pitch disappointed with the score at 28-16 as the aroma of a fine meat and potato pie guided them towards the Clubhouse and some consolation.

Tries: Sean Craven (1), George Guy (1), Jordan Hindley (2)

Conversions: Nathan Winter (2)