Kidderminster 35 Nuneaton Old Eds 7

Old Eds made the journey to second-placed Kidderminster on a cold and wet day. They soon discovered why the home team is so highly ranked as sharp attacking play saw Kidderminster score 2 tries in the first 10 minutes: 12-0. As the Eds struggled to get on terms Kidderminster kicked a penalty and scored a further try on the left: 20-0. The home sides’ strong start was further underlined when their right-wing went over from 5m: 25-0 with 25 minutes played.

To their credit, the Eds came back into the match, spending the last ten minutes of the half in opposition territory. No8 Brandon Carter’s line-out catch set up a good position only for the Eds to be held up over the line. They ran a penalty under the posts, but an errant pass ended the period at the end of the half.

The Eds maintained their form into the second half as they again got into the Kettering twenty-two – encountering a defensive wall. Again, the Eds enjoyed both possession and position but lacked the cutting edge needed to capitalise on this. However, a Carter line-out catch set up a drive for the Kettering line where No2 George Parker’s trademark dummy found a rare gap for the try, converted by Brad Darlaston: 25-7.

The Eds continued to dominate possession and worked their way into their hosts’ twenty-two. However, a loose ball was seized upon by Kidderminster, whose rapid transition from defence to attack enabled them to make ground quickly and directly. The ball was worked to their left-wing whose balanced running took him over the Eds’ line again: 30-7. Four minutes later, a 50m run by the Kettering No once again saw the ball transferred to their left-wing for his fifth try: 35-7.

Over the last two week the Eds have lost to the top two teams in the league. They now have a yardstick to measure their progress when they meet these teams again at the end of the season.

Try: G Parker

Conversion: B Darleston

Old Eds First Team: S Haberfield, G Parker, D McAdam, Z Cooper, R Singh, J Graham, P King, B Carter, B Darlaston, M Loveday, S Johnson, R Southall, C Jones, L Roberts, H Carter
Subs: J House, N Sephton