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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 4th March 2006

LEAGUE:  MIDLANDS 3 EAST (South)

LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 39  V  NORTHAMPTON MENS OWN 1st XV: 29

For the second time this season Lutterworth staged a sensational second half return from the dead. After thirty-five minutes of play the home side trailed by twenty-eight points to three. Mens Own had taken advantage of a sloppy and disinterested Lutts fifteen who missed tackle after tackle as the Northampton side ran in two easy tries through the midfield, one in the corner and another from a driving maul. In the closing minutes of the first half open side flanker, Paul Riley touched down from a Lutterworth driving maul and Bobby Williams hit a fine conversion, closing the deficit to eighteen points.

Lutterworth began the second period with coach Dave Turner’s remonstration still ringing in their ears and hit the visitors with forty minutes of committed fifteen man rugby which left Mens Own reeling on the ropes and conceding twenty nine unanswered points. The stage was set minutes into the half when Ben Husthwaite stormed over from a tap and go penalty twenty yards out. Mens Own could only stop the next wave of attack by the Lutterworth forwards by constant infringement and were punished with a penalty try. Half way into the period scrum half Gareth Court threw an inch perfect pass to winger Lee Donovan whose clinical finishing took the home side into the lead for the first time in the game. Paul Riley put the icing on the cake barrelling through the midfield to score after having been set up by a typical fine piece of attacking play from replacement back row Rob Sands. Credit to Mens Own who came back strongly during the final minutes of the game but they were facing a different defence to the one that had allowed them to take control in the first half and they came away unrewarded and well beaten.

 Scoring: 0-7, 3-7, 3-14, 3-21, 3-28, 10-28.

17-28, 20-28, 27-28, 32-28, 39-28.