Captain "Newts" leads from the front

Camp Hill made it three wins out of four with a hard fought but thoroughly deserved victory over a determined Shrewsbury team.
With the visitors 3 points and 2 places above Camps at the start of play this was always going to be a close encounter and both sides had their chances. Camps were resolute in defence, however, and took their opportunities when they came.

The home team’s much changed pack came under pressure early on but having weathered the storm they came up with a trademark score to take a 15-minute lead. A lineout in the opposition 22 was cleanly taken and the pack drove over for skipper Mark Newton (pictured) to score his seventh try of the season.

The competitive nature of the game spilled over just before half time and a bought of fisticuffs saw home flanker Adam Pinfield and his Shrewsbury counterpart each being shown a red card.

Camps still had time to stretch their lead to 8 points before the break when a strike against the head by Camps hooker Adam Willis led to the visitors conceding a penalty in front of their own posts, which Barney Edwards converted.

Shrewsbury continued to have a good amount of ball at the start of the second half but Camps relieved the pressure with a breakaway try. A typical long clearance by Barney Edwards was chased down by full back Matt Clarke and winger Liam Lindsey and when the covering Shrewsbury winger fly hacked into touch, the quick thinking Clarke took the line out to Lindsey who fought his way over for a try.

Camps sealed the game late on with another try from Mark Newton. The skipper should have scored moments earlier when, Shrewsbury, electing not to defend his line out take, allowed the second row to turn and run for the line. Unfortunately, the ball squirted from his grasp as he went over.

Moments later, however, another clean line out take and rumble from the forwards saw the skipper successfully over the line. Barney added the conversion to round off a solid win.