Back

1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 3rd February 2007

League Fixture

LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 9pts   v   BELGRAVE 1st XV:  7pts

No one came to Ashby Lane expecting a classic so presumably no one was disappointed, with the possible exception of Lutterworth coach, Mick Welham. During eighty minutes of error strewn rugby both sides had little to write home about but Lutterworth finally wrested the two points from a determined Belgrave side with a fine display of kicking from young fly-half, Andy Burgess.

The first half was littered with lost opportunities beginning with a fairly straightforward missed penalty attempt by Belgrave and quickly followed by any number of squandered try scoring opportunities by the home team. Principal among which was an uncharacteristic and baffling blunder by Lutterworth centre Phil Daffern who after a fine interception went over the try line and mystifyingly dropped the ball without touching down. Later in the half both sides exchanged missed penalty kicks and Lutterworth skipper, Dennis Hall was invited to leave the field for ten minutes by a referee who did little to raise the standard of this stultifying spectacle.

Into the second period Belgrave drew first blood with a converted try coming from their strongest tactic on the day, their open side flanker touching down from a driven maul. Lutterworth’s Burgess took over kicking duties from an out of sorts Bobby Williams and converted his first attempt after a weaving ducking diving break through the midfield by Daffern won Lutterworth a penalty in front of the posts. Another successful penalty conversion brought the home side to within a point and in the dying minutes of this lack lustre contest Burgess coolly slotted a pressure laden and not straightforward attempt to seal Belgrave’s fate. During the five minutes of extra time added on the visitors came back strongly and to their credit Lutterworth defended with great fortitude eventually securing a narrow win and looking marginally the better side.

Scoring: 0-0;0-7;  3-7; 6-7; 9-7.

Team:                   A. Johnson  Riley   Stevens

                                       Husthwaite  Evans

                                  Conway    Hall     Davies

                                        Bell      Burgess

                     Stretton   Williams    Daffern    Carter 

                                                Jeffs

Reps;    I. Johnson  Higgins  Van Heerden