Berkswell & Balsall - 1st XV: 27 - 18

Written by Website Administrator

Saturday, 16 December 2006

PROMOTION sniffing Berkswell completed a swift season's double against determined opponents who proved a tough nut to crack.   Only six points separated the teams at the interval and that margin was only stretched to nine inside the dying seconds of a match that swung from end to end.   Early pressure by Leamingtonians came to nothing and it was the home side who were first to register when their well-drilled pack caught and drove over from a lineout.   The score only served to spark the visitors into renewed attacking ambition and some promising play finally attracted due reward in the shape of a try from winger Simon Magill who got on the end of an Adam Canning cross-kick and ran in under the posts. Canning converted    Tit-for-tat raids continued across a heavy Honiley Road pitch but it was Berkswell who finished the half strongest, their excellent man-of-the-match No. 7 scoring a fine individual try which was added to by his fly-half who then improved on a second pushover try following another orchestrated rolling maul.   Berkswell were again indebted to their pack for a third try after some searching loose play early in the second half. However, Leamingtonians again responded in style, lock Greg Williams receiving from a tap penalty and crashing through the home defence to touch down for an unconverted score.   There was still little in it, but it was Berkswell who were able to deliver the final word in the shape of that killing penalty from their fly-half.   Leamingtonians, who had chalked up four wins on the bounce going into the game, could not be faulted for their commitment adventure. Much work still has to be done to throw up more lineout possession, it remains a major negative, especially as their threequarters do offer planty of promise.   Next match: home Dunlop (league) January 6.

 

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