BOWDON moved top of Lancs/Cheshire Division One with a 24-7 win at Hoylake.

Hoylake started the game with the wind at their backs but Bowdon pressed hard, pinning the home side back with fast, hard tackling.

Scrum-half James Dennis executed some precision box kicking which was backed up with forward foraging.

Stand-off Jonny Edwards interspersed moving the ball through the backline with searching and penetrative territorial kicks, while debutant ex-Colt Rory McKenzie impressed early in the game with a dangerous run down his left wing and strong tackling.

The Bowdon line-out was working well, as was the set scrum, and loose hooker Sean Hughes continued his form of the previous week, carrying the ball menacingly.

Both sides settled into the contest, adjusting to the nuances of the official and the deteriorating weather, Hoylake providing testing opposition as they soaked up the Bowdon onslaught.

On 18 minutes, Tom Gomulko cut through from an acute angle, receiving the ball from Jamie Anthony to break into space 10 metres out and crossing the line.

An exchange of kicks led to full-back Jeffers weaving his way through the Hoylake ranks where Brady was illegally barged into touch.

From the resulting penalty and line-out, Bowdon’s forwards sucked the ball in, carrying it over for ex-Colt Harry Martin to ground for a try.

As half time approached, a line-out on the Bowdon 22 provided an opportunity and they caught the visitors napping as they raced down the touchline to score.

Unsurprisingly, the second half was a scrappy affair during which Hoylake put up dogged resistance to Bowdon despite going further behind eight minutes in.

The move, which began with a series of pick-and-drives in the 22, was executed with precision by ex-Colt Ben Thomas, leaving the opposition flat-footed to score under the posts.

The scoring concluded on 70 minutes when Bowdon again powered their way towards the line.

Composed pick-and-drives enabled captain Willie Landman to score and Jonny Edwards' accomplished boot converted to seal victory.

Cup fever heads to Bowdon this weekend when the firsts host Bolton in the Intermediate RFU Cup and the seconds are at home to Chester in the Robinsons Brewery Trophy, both games kick off at 2.15pm.