Shipston Struggle at Home

Shipston entertained high-flying Evesham at Mayo Road in the last fixture before the Christmas break, with the Rams looking for a first win in 4 league games. It was evident from the start that it would be a difficult game for the home side and so it proved, as a number of errors and a slow start saw Evesham rack up a 21-0 lead within the first 20 mins, leaving the Rams with a mountain to climb if they were to salvage anything from the game. The poor start seemed to be the wake up call that Shipston needed, as they finally began to take control of the game, keeping possession well and building up a number of phases in the Evesham half. The pressure eventually resulted in a try under the posts for Rob James. After an excellent turnover on the Evesham twenty-two by Dan Phillips, the ball was spread wide into the centres and after a good quick ruck, James picked up and cantered in unattended to register the Shipston try. James himself converting to make the score 21-7. This was how it remained until half time, with Shipston unable to capitalize on further periods of sustained pressure and territory.

The second period started brightly for Shipston, as they looked to play territory and drag themselves back into the game, but in attempting to do so, they left themselves rather exposed at times whilst trying to force the pace of the game. Evesham took full advantage of the fractious game and were able to score a further 4 tries in the second half, as well as a penalty, to leave the final score at 46-7 to the visitors.

It was a final scoreline that perhaps flattered Evesham slightly, but there was no doubting the fact that they were deserved winners on the day. They were extremely well drilled and were fully deserving of the 5 points against a young Rams side who continue to show plenty of promise, but perhaps are just lacking the killer instinct in the final third of the pitch. There is certainly a bright future for this team, because the talent and enthusiasm is there in abundance. It's only a matter of time before this team clicks and becomes a serious challenger in the league!

A massive thank you must go out to the lads that stepped up to play this week, especially to Ben Haines, who hobbled around for over an hour despite an injured ankle. Rob James had a very good game, as skipper George Waywell and steven baker, but my man of the match this week is Kiwi, Dan Phillips. He was everywhere on the park and manufactured some brilliant turnovers for the Rams in some crucial periods of the game.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, see you in 2016!