Reading 17 Stow 11

READING 17 STOW 11

Stow will be kicking themselves for letting this game slip but on the positive side many areas were much improved especially in the set piece. With the wind behind them Stow needed to get points, they put together some good phases but couldn’t quite get over the line. Reading were very solid in defense and several attacks were thwarted by their sold tackling. Eventually Stow broke through, some good hands in back line resulted in the ball coming to TED HOLMES who beat his man to score, try unconverted. Soon after JAKE COLLETT slotted a penalty to give Stow an 8 point lead. Unfortunate from the restart the ball was dropped and Reading were back in the game with an unconverted try in the corner leaving Stow just ahead by 8 points to 5 at the break. This was going to be anybody’s game, Stow started strongly after the break but again couldn’t pierce the strong defense. Reading were a awarded a scrum just inside their own half, they spun the ball wide to the winger who made very light work of some very poor tacking to score under the posts. Try converted. Stow still had plenty of possession but just couldn’t score then Reading came back down field and from a series of forward drives went over for another 5 points. Stow were now chasing the game and spent the last 10 minutes on the attack but ran out of options and time leaving them with just the single losing bonus point to show for their efforts. Frustratingly this was a game they could very easily have won.

A week off then Stow entertain Reading Abbey.