Loughborough frustrated after plucky defeat.

L'boro kicked off playing into a strong sweeping wind. The game was ebbing and flowing back and forth with some nice breaks from stand off Callum Smith and winger Adam Lee to give encouragement to the home side. However on the 20 minute mark Melbourne scored the first try after a loose offload was intercepted by the winger who beat a couple of men to score well in the corner.

L'boro responded well but were to be sucker punched 5 minutes before half time after another interception try this time from the Melbourne number 8 put the scores 0-12 to the visitors at the break despite L'boro having looked the more dangerous of the two sides.

With the wind now at their backs L'boro decided to pin the opposition back in their own. The pressure mounted but try as they might the home side were always let down by the final pass or an unforced error. Melbourne eventually cleared their lines after nearly 15 minutes camped in their 22. The away side had some ball of their own but after kicking it away an alright return from stand off Smith put the hosts back where they wanted to be. After some good work by the forwards in the scrum the ball was fed to Smith who used a bit of the old Pat Howard 'show and go' magic (but more rubbish) to score next to the posts and bring the game back to life. Sands added the conversion on his return to the team from a Sabbatical.

With ten minutes to go Melbourne scored the decisive try of the game after some shall we say 'ill discipline' from veteran,coach,former member of a boy band vest wearing should of known better scrum half Joseph Marsden, the hosts were down to 14 men for the rest of the game. The away side made their extra numbers count by scoring a push over from a rolling maul. L'boro threw everything they had at the visitors in the last five minutes but didn't quite have the patience or directness to cross the whitewash.

Next weeks game away to Notts Casuals is a must win for the Navy and Old Gold!!