Bulls come through stern test

Another “free” weekend was taken up with cup duties as St. Ives found themselves in deepest Lincolnshire to face new opposition in Kesteven in round 3 of the Senior Vase. The match was played in bright, but very breezy conditions on a slope very similar to that at the chicken shack.
Ives faced the elements in the first half and started well defensively. Immediate pressure led to a forced pass, snaffled by Paul Ashbridge in his own half. Three defenders trailed in his wake as he secured his first 7 points of the game.
For the next ten minutes, Kesteven found themselves on the other end of the referee’s whistle and were forced into their own 22. Ives became a little frustrated at not being able to cross the line and chose a kick in front for Ashbridge to extend the lead.
Ives were playing well in the build up to the opposition red zone, but forced passes and loose kicks frequently let the hosts of the hook.
Not able to add to the score, Ives pace relented a little and Kesteven took advantage. Turning the ball over in midfield, the Kesteven forwards and backs combined well to get within 5 metres. Ives conceded a penalty, a scrum followed and a simple crash over brought the hosts their first 7 points.
Ives brief lethargy gave Kesteven hope and after a mix up in their own lineout, Ives conceded a penalty close in. Again, a simple drive saw Kesteven over the line.
Half time 14-10
The second half saw Ives manage the game much better. Raking kicks from Mickey Drake, who performed rumbustiously both with and without the ball, and Ashbridge alleviated any pressure. The visitors also played with much more patience in attack and urgency in defence.
Soon after the break, an attack of multiple faces swept left and right ended when John Naylor scored his first try for the club, darting through a gap in the sagging home defence. Duly converted.
From the kick off, for once Ives exit fell directly to the home full back. He ran the ball back well, combined with his team mates and instigated a fine try. The conversion gave Kesteven a lead of 4 points with half an hour remaining.
From then on Ives played with real purpose. With flair and precision, they battered the home defence and blunted their attacks. The outcome was still in the balance after skipper Ollie Bartlett rounded off another fine team build up, grounding the ball at the foot of the posts. Converted.
With Ives emptying the bench, the fresh legs gave added impetus to the effort. With a lovely line, Tommy Newman breached the Kesteven defence and charged up to the 22. With a quick recycle, the ball was swept through the hands to Albiee Tayedzerwa. With his familiar dive, he dotted down in the corner.
Kesteven now seemed to wilt a little. In the last minutes, Ives added two more tries to add a gloss to the scoreline. First a well worked lineout saw Duncan Williams stretch to add to his burgeoning try tally. And with the final play of the game, Gabriel Edwards capped a fine display with a break, drawing the last man to put in Naylor for his second. Ashbridge wrapped up the action with the conversion.
Skipper Bartlett was a delighted man after the match. “That was a real test today. We did not have our usual dominance up front and went off the boil a bit when the game was close. But, we reacted really well and the last twenty was ours. We look forward to welcoming Queens to Somersham Road next week and are already anticipating another tough encounter.”

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