3rd Team Match Report
Saturday 4th October 2003
LUTTERWORTH 3rd XV 21 OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS 3rd XV 28
In this, their first game of the season, Lutterworth Thirds started well and took the lead with a try by Mike Breslin. Scrappy play by the home side forwards allowed the visitors to reply with a converted try. Following a period of sustained home side pressure a second Lutts try by John Dolby, converted by Kev Jones restored the lead. Two penalty awards to ON’s saw the away team go into the half time break with a narrow 13-12 lead.
Lutts started the second half in fine style, keeping ON’s on the backfoot for long periods. Their reward was limited however to three Kev Jones penalties with try scoring opportunities being missed. Going into the final quarter Lutts held a comfortable 21-13 lead.
At this point though Lutts lack of match practise and fitness told. Collectively they began to run out of steam allowing ON’s to seize the initiative. An uncoverted try and a penalty to ON,s brought the scores level at 21-21 and the visitors clinched the win against a tiring Lutts side with a last minute converted try.
Although disappointed to lose a game they could have won Lutts can take heart from a good performance against a strong, well drilled ON’s side. Lack of match fitness clearly told in the last quarter of the game against a side playing their fifth game. At set pieces Lutts more than matched the opposition and the threequarters in particular put in a sterling defensive performance against a set of strong, hard running ON’s threes.
A difficult first game but an encouraging start to the season and as match fitness improves the Thirds should soon notch a first victory.