Derby City effective away from home

By Jon Doughty

Derby City effective away from home

After last week’s frustrating match against Leicester Storm at Haslam’s Derby saw themselves travelling to play the return game against Coventry Dragons.

Undefeated by the Dragons in over four matches City were determined to continue this run. However the visitors seemed to have not run of the journey as Coventry very quickly scored their first, a converted try just left of the posts.

Derby’s obsession with discipline continued as Full Back Lewis Thompson was yellow carded in the tenth minute and with the Dragons playing downhill this was potentially going to be a long match! However Derby dug deep and scored the next try through Tom Pottinger with the Centre breaking two tackles from the half way line to score. Dragons scored an unconverted try to take the game back to Dragons 10 Derby 4. Thompson returned to pitch and whilst the opportunities were mainly with the home side Derby kept plugging away and advancing up the pitch. Good driving by Props andrew castledine and Tim Doyle put Derby in a solid position in front of the Dragons posts, Hooker Jon Doughty picked up and dropped over the line, converted by Reza Kashefi. A successful half for Derby considering the attempts to self-implode. Half Time Coventry Dragons 10 Derby City 10.

The visitors now had the slope and possibly the greater confidence due to the score. Eight minutes into the half Centre Jack Wilkinson took a perfectly timed ball from Joe Frobisher to drift through the opposition centres as they expected a pass outside them. Half Back Kashefi was dictating the game along with Frobisher and the high last tackle kicks were creating mayhem in the Dragons back line, Pottinger speculated and won to catch an awkward bounce to score between the posts, converted by Kashefi.

Only five minutes later a complete replica arose as the home Full Back didn’t catch the ball clearly and Pottinger completed his hat trick, again converted by Kashefi. Dragon’s weren’t finished and scored a converted try due to some sloppy missed tackles.

Best try of the match followed next as Loose Forward Toby Williams broke the defence after precise running at the defenders shoulders, clear through with only the Full Back to beat and Kashefi on his right, simple pass for a converted try between the posts.

With only ten minutes remaining Pottinger scored his fourth try of the match a simple broken tackle on the half way line again converted by Kashefi.

An outstanding result considering the heat and the fact that only 17 players had travelled.

Final score Coventry Dragons 16 Derby City 38. Man of the match Tom Pottinger.