Strangely the start of the season came with a cup final as Warrington took on Woolston Rovers in the 2019 Stuart Middleton Warrington Cup Final.

Woolston had an excellent season in 2019 gaining promotion to the NCL 2, the same division as Crosfields for 2020 so the result of this game would give 1 side early-season bragging rights.

In the midst of storm Dennis, Woolston kicked off to soap into the wind and whilst the storm would make conditions really difficult, both sides would produce a game to warm the cockles of a packed grandstand.

Luke Walker got Soap up and running after just 3 minutes, Jack read put a neat kick in out of Dummy Half which Crosfields got a repeat set on the back of. From the drop out a couple of drives and then good hands right to left saw Walker go over, Jack Reid kicked the extras.

Walker added a second ten minutes later after a Woolston knock on 20 meters from their own line, from the scrum Walker broke the Woolston defence and went 80 meters to score his double, a good chase back by ex Soap youngster Maudsley saw the conversion attempt taken from out wide, in the terrible conditions Reid just pulled it wide.

Woolston pulled a try and conversion back just before the break and it stood at 10 v 6 to the soap at Half Time.

Crosfields playing into the wind started the second half as they started the first with Joe Clarke going over. Woolston knocked on and the ball was swept up by John Whittaker who gave Clarke an excellent offload, Reid was brilliant with the conversion and soap led 16 v 6

Woolston scored a converted try to pul it back to a 4 point game on 47 minutes before Walker rounded off a superb personal performance on 60 minutes scoring out wide but the conversion was missed. Pegged back again by Woolston on 64 minutes to 20 v 16 the game was on a knife-edge going into the last 15.

Woolston tried to up the aggression which backfired with a sin-binning dropping them to 12 before Dan Reid finished off proceedings. A kick into the preceding gale and John Whitacker hacks forward for Daniel Reid to pick up, turn Woolston Winger Craig Middlemore inside out and Daniel Reid scores for Crosfields ARLFC.

After a bit of a ruckus and a little pushing and shoving, Crosfields took a ball in only for the Woolston hooker to jump and try to take the players head off with a swinging arm which saw him see a straight red and Crosfields saw the game out.

Jack Reid was awarded Man of the Match for a real controlled display at hooker leading his side around the park superbly.

After the alliance side beat Culcheth Eagles 18 v 16 in August after extra time the club holds both of the open age Warrington Cups and it won't be releasing its grasp on either in 2020 without a battle.

#upthesoap