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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 9th December 2006

Senior Vase Round 4

LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 29pts    v  LUDLOW 1st XV:  21pts

Lutterworth notched up their twelth consecutive win and now go through to the last eight in the Midlands EDF Energy Senior Vase. However Saturday’s performance was a country mile behind the previous week’s win at Coalville and they will need to raise their game significantly when they resume the league campaign against Loughborough next Saturday.

Playing against a strong wind and into the low sun, Lutterworth were slow to start, after only a couple of minutes the visitors took the lead with a converted penalty. It took Lutterworth some fifteen minutes to gain any sort of shape and composure and the man who gave away the early penalty, hooker, Alan Johnson, redeemed himself taking the ball over from a penalty lineout catch and drive. Surprisingly shortly afterwards Lutterworth failed to score from a similar position and once again began to hand out penalties like confetti. Ludlow failed to capitalise on this generosity missing two relatively easy penalty kicks but they eventually took the lead after flanker, Chris Gregory was sent to the sin bin. Ludlow’s fly half ignored a five-man overlap and single handed took the ball over for a converted try. Gregory made his presence felt when he returned shortly before half time scoring from another lineout and giving Lutterworth a slender one point lead.

The visitors regained the advantage early in the second period, their winger greedily intercepted a highly speculative Lutterworth pass and ran in a converted try. Their fly half capped a fine performance with a drop goal but this was to be their final fling. Lutterworth eventually found some form and put the game beyond doubt with three final tries, Alan Johnson bagged his second from the back of a driven maul, fly half Gareth Court found Chris Gregory charging up on his outside shoulder, the flanker brushed aside the defenders and crashed over in the corner for his second. Finally full back ,Jim Croucher, ran in from deep taking the ball quickly spun out from a five metre scrum. Coach, Mick Welham whilst pleased with yet another win feels that there is considerable room for improvement in all areas of play and will be looking for his players to up their game next Saturday at home against Loughborough.

Scoring: 0-3; 7-3; 7-6; 7-11; 12-11;12-18; 12-21; 19-21; 24-21; 29-21.

Team:                     Wilford    A.Johnson.  Stevens

                                        Husthwaite      Evans

                                  Gregory    Hall      Conway

                                          Newman     Court

                     Daffern   Williams     Barnardo   Croucher

                                              Roberson

Reps:       I.Johnson     Stretton     Donovan