Local rivalries resumed this weekend as Orrell made the short trip to Douglas Valley to play a ‘friendly’ against Wigan in a match that was always going to be keenly contested.

Orrell drew first blood on the 10 minute mark, as Wigan were caught offside and the penalty was slotted through the posts. Wigan fought back as some consistent pressure on the Orrell 22 paid off. Adam Dwyer hit the line from fullback and took the ball over. Dwyer converted his own try to give Wigan a 7-3 lead.

Almost immediately Wigan were pinned back and Orrell took advantage of some loose play in the ruck. With Wigan adjudged to have not released, Orrell were awarded a penalty and it was coolly slotted over again. Just moments later Wigan relinquished the lead as another transgression was punished with Orrell again taking the three points on offer.

With the first half drawing to a close Wigan looked to be gaining confidence and worked their way into good field position. Sam Gee took the ball at standoff before shipping the ball out wide via the hands of Connor Matthews and Pat Melling. Melling made good use of the space before putting Jack Proffitt over in the corner.

The momentum immediately shifted back to Orrell as a high tackle resulted in a tap penalty being taken quickly. The Orrell number 8 took the ball on and put a deft chip through which was collected by the Orrell wing and taken over in the corner to give Orrell a 12-14 lead at half time.

The second half was a tense affair played in a tinder box atmosphere. With around 60 minutes played a spark finally caught and a brawl ensued, the end result being a red card for Wigan back row, Toby Harrison.

Despite the disparity in numbers it was Wigan who scored next. A penalty from Adam Dwyer gave Wigan a narrow lead as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

Orrell regrouped and took advantage of the extra space in the Wigan defensive line. A good break from the Orrell inside centre resulted in the final score of the game as he took the ball over for the winning try. Wigan 15-19 Orrell