KC’s,winners of the North Mids Shield for the last two seasons,were dumped out of this year’s competition in a quarter final tie which did nothing for their fragile confidence but they can at least now concentrate on trying to stave off relegation from Mids 2 West (N),beginning next week with a home fixture against Newcastle (Staffs) who are just three points and one place above them.
Kidder started carelessly,dropping a Salts kick and then being caught offside but did enjoy a couple of early bright moments when No 8 Jess Smith made a strong run off the back of a scrum,as he did all afternoon,and then fullback Mike Humphreys,wing Jake Shellis and centre Arthur Morgan launched an attack from deep in their own half to get Salts back pedalling until an accidental offside intervened but an overthrown lineout on their own 22 put them in trouble and although they defended well initially, a huge gap suddenly opened up and the hosts No 13 needed no second invitation to score under the posts and his fellow centre converted.
Five minutes later a couple of loose passes just outside KC’s own 22 were seized upon by Salts and although there was a hint of a knock on their flanker took advantage to cross for a second try and a 12-0 lead with a quarter of an hour played.
Midway through the half a sporadic Kidder attack saw Morgan weave his way around three or four defenders whilst the ref was playing a penalty advantage but he could not quite link up with Shellis and when play was brought back skipper Chris Pinner kicked the penalty from the 22 in front of the posts to get the visitors on the board.
A further five minutes in,KC’s had another penalty opportunity,this time from the ten metre line but the ball held up in the wind and dropped by the side of the posts.Salts long 22 drop out was run back at them but the counter was abruptly brought to an end by a forward pass and then,after losing another lineout on their own throw,the visitors allowed Salts’ No 13 to wriggle away from some weak tackling and run in from almost halfway for his second try.
With halftime approaching KC’s at last put together their first really cohesive passage of play,retaining possession whilst going through the phases,and were rewarded when Smith used his strength to burst through three tacklers and score under the posts for a well merited try which Pinner duly converted to reduce the arrears to 17-10 at the interval.
Kidder continued to show much greater intent and resolve at the beginning of the second half and within three minutes young backrow Will Roft plunged over from a ruck by Salts posts,with Pinner’s conversion drawing the sides level.
Both teams then attempted to attack from deep,only to be thwarted by unforced errors but things took a turn for the better for KC’s when Salt’s No 14 was perhaps harshly yellow carded for a tip tackle.The penalty was kicked to Salts 22 but yet again the throw was lost.KC’s then won rare good lineout ball but after being turned over at a ruck on Salts ten metre line they were marched back twenty metres for two displays of dissent which brought the original penalty to within range for the hosts kicker but he also found the wind a problem and his effort fell short.However,KC’s clearance was run back at them and some more questionable tackling enabled Salts flyhalf to break clear and score at the right corner.
Five minutes later,at a Salts scrum fifteen metres from KC’s line the visitors were penalised for kicking the ball out of the set piece when it already appeared to be out and Salts did not hesitate to take the three points with a fairly simple kick.Now eight points ahead,the home side were straight back on the attack and from ruck ball at the left corner their No 10 executed a sublime crossfield kick for his right wing to catch and dab down to extend the advantage to 30-17.
Kidder tried to respond,running a penalty in Salts 22 but the ball carrier was isolated and possession was turned over far too easily to enable Salts No 14 to this time race under the posts from long range for a sixth try and a straightforward conversion.Unsurprisingly,KC’s youngsters were looking somewhat demoralised and only two minutes later the hosts replacement winger skated in for another converted try to make it twenty seven points conceded in just eighteen minutes and the last quarter of the match had seen Kidderminster disappointingly completely blown away.