Spalding RFC 1st xv 83 v Grimsby RFC 1st xv 0

First of all the win improves their chances in the Midlands Two East North league, still on equal terms with the side above them and a much improved points difference, secondly they are now through to the final of the Notts Lincs and Derby Shield and thirdly they are also in the semi final of the Lincolnshire Cup. This was all made possible by a flood of tries, the like of which had not happened before this season and with 64 points on the board before half time they must have thought a record score was on the cards. The inclusion from the start of Kevin Childs, making his first team debut on the wing, after playing in the Development XV for the first part of the season, scored five tries and it brought back memories of veteran winger Paddy Wheeler when he was in his heyday and he used to give these type of displays. Also young winger Ollie Phillips notched up three tries during the afternoon and with thirteen tries overall it gave plenty of practice for goal kicker Lawrence Rayner who had nine successful conversions. Grimsby kicked off on a wet afternoon and were soon putting pressure on the Spalding defence after a poor start from the home side. The visitors were awarded a penalty which should have been in kickable range but the ball went wide of its mark and realistically this was the closest they came to putting points on the board all through the match. But the first five minutes had not passed before Childs collected the ball ran across the pitch before feeding his opposite winger Phillips who had enough pace to round the Grimsby defence and score wide out. From near the touch line the conversion went wide, but Spalding had opened their account. Within minutes Spalding were again pressurising the visitors line and from a well worked lineout move, where Spalding were in full control for the whole of the match, the ball was won and driven to the line with Ben Hausermann making the touchdown. Again the conversion was off target. Immediately from the restart Rob Lucas, at scrum half, secured the ball and it was passed straight down the line to winger Childs who keenly demonstrated his pace and guile to make his first score and Rayner kindly obliged with his first conversion of the afternoon. Within two minutes of the restart Childs repeated the performance and Rayner was on target again. The next try also involved Childs who made the break through before passing inside to Harry Brown who touched down between the posts leaving another simple conversion for Rayner. Scores were coming thick and fast for the home side. It was again Childs who had the pace to score in the corner for his third try but too far out for the conversion. This was followed only minutes later by Childs’ fourth try from a similar script but kicker Rayner was on target. A lengthy break for an injured Grimsby player disrupted the flow for the home side but it was skipper Harry Sharman who resumed the scoring again under the posts with Rayner again obliging. Before the half time whistle blew it was the turn of Phillips to cross the line twice under the posts leaving simple conversions for Rayner and allowing the home side turn around with a scoreline of 64 – 0. Although Grimsby had not been in the match in the first half they kept up their effort and it was all of twenty minutes before Spalding crossed the line again. Childs demonstrated some of the talent he had when he received the ball close to the touchline, made space and then cut inside his final tackler to score his fifth try. Rayner calmly converted. The lineout had been one of the phases were Spalding had excelled all afternoon with Hausermann and Sharman cleaning up on both their own and Grimsby’s throwins. It was from one of these plays that Sharman broke from the lineout to pass inside to his fellow forward Brown for his second try under the posts. Again Rayner obliged with the conversion. But with time running out from a lineout deep in the Grimsby 22 metre area a drive for the line by the Spalding pack saw Wes Cope go over for the final try of the afternoon, but the conversion was unsuccessful. The whole of the home-side had played their part in the highest score the team had recorded this season.

Spalding RFC: Harry Sharman (Captain), Andy Branton, Wes Cope, Peter Shakespeare, Tom Duerden, Ed Duerden, Ben Hausermann, Harry Brown, Rob Lucas, Lawrence Rayner, Ollie Phillips, Ryan Chappell, Jim Williams, Kevin Childs, Adam McHugh, Peter Waudby, Andy Hoyles and Ben Williamson.