Alchester RUFC

Alcester’s day did not start well when, on 3 minutes Fly half Adam Thompson’s ill-judged kick was charged down by his opposite number who raced in to score between the posts.

From the restart the hosts where under the cosh for several minutes, defending well in their own 22 as Wallingford piled on the pressure. Having survived this onslaught, the Alchester defence was again tested after 15 minutes when they were rucked off the ball and Wallingford put in an excellent attacking move across the width of the pitch, with Alchester only managing to bundle the man with the ball into touch 5 meters short.

It was Alcester’s turn to score next, on 20 minutes, when Lou Bryne, playing a No. 8, charging in from deep, took the crash ball over off the back of a ruck only 2 meters from the Wallingford line, centre Tom Miles slotted the conversion.

A penalty from Miles 2 minutes before the break nudged Alchester ahead with scores at 10-7.

The second half started better for Alchester with a good break in midfield as the ball went quickly through the hands to find Miles on the left wing who cut through the defence to touch down in the corner, Miles’ attempt at the conversion drifted right of the posts.

10 minutes into the half Wallingford narrowed the deficit to 5 points with a penalty of their own.

The rest of the half then became very disjointed as the referee started to penalise both sides heavily, Wallingford the more so.

Two long range attempts at penalty goals from Miles on 55 and 58 minutes both dropped just short. However, another penalty from miles on 60 minutes stretched the lead to 8 points at 18-10.

Wallingford then pretty much set up camp in the opposition half for the last 20 minutes, again putting pressure on a dogged Alchester defence.

All this pressure finally paid off for Wallingford as, first, with 5 minutes to go, they scored a try that was deemed held up by the referee, and then in the dying seconds Wallingford were awarded a try when the ball was grounded well short of the line. The conversion brought the scores to 18 – 17 to Alchester.

Full credit must go to both teams, Wallingford for an outstanding effort in the last twenty, especially as they were down to 12 men at one point, and to Alchester for a strong and determined defence of their line under pressure