After half an hour of this North Mids Shield semi final clash it looked as though KC’s were in for the sort of thrashing that Stoke City dished out to Bolton at Wembley but at the end of a match which lasted ninety one minutes owing to a catalogue of injuries to players on both sides,with Kidder suffering particularly badly,it was the hosts who were mightily relieved to hear the final whistle as they scraped home by just two points.

This was KC’s first game for three weeks whereas Aston had played their quarter final tie only last Saturday and the difference in the match fitness and sharpness between the two teams was soon apparent. With just three minutes on the clock Ed’s centre Andy Wood (Dean Morris)sliced through to score under the posts and left wing Tom McNamee (Rob Chesner)knocked over the simple conversion. KC’s then lost influential fullback Andy McLellan with rib damage and although skipper John Mounter reduced the arrears with a penalty Aston hit back inside a minute when No 15 Terry Finn made the extra man and brushed through an unconvincing tackle to score in the right hand corner. McNamee’s (Chesner's) excellent touchline conversion saw KC’s trailing 14-3 and things went from bad to worse when No 8 Alex Baldwin was forced off with a shoulder injury.

A McNamee (Chesner) penalty added another three points and when Aston’s right wing Andy Tovey was allowed to run from almost halfway through a series of flimsy challenges for another try under the posts,improved by the host’s No 11 with his fourth successful kick out of four, the game looked as good as over at 24-3.

KC’s,however,at last began to get into their stride and ten minutes before the break back row Rob Delahay finished off a catch and drive from a fifteen metre lineout and Mounter’s conversion reduced the arrears to 24-10.On the stroke of halftime another close range lineout presented a similar opportunity.Unfortunately,the throw went astray but KC’s had found a weak spot and only four minutes into the second period some strong running and good handling won two penalties which were both kicked to the corner.

From the second lineout the forwards again drove over Aston’s try line for another Delahay try and the same ploy almost worked a third time but a knock on let the hosts off the hook.

At 24-15 the match was much more evenly balanced but KC’s were further disrupted when they lost prop Ben Turner with an arm injury.The frequent stoppages suited Aston who appeared more than happy to slow the game down ,especially when they had to play the last seven minutes with fourteen men after Finn was yellow carded.With time running out a weak Ed’s clearance kick was fielded by No 6 Chris Baldwin and two long passes sent in centre Jake Evetts for a try.Mounter wasted no time popping over the conversion and KC’s sensed that they could snatch the victory but Aston held on to clinch their place in the Final.