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1st TEAM   Match Report

Saturday 31st March 2007

League Fixture

LUTTERWORTH  1st XV: 26pts  v  COALVILLE  1st XV 24pts

Trailing until the very end  Lutterworth finally snatched a narrow, nail biting victory from an impressive and determined Coalville fifteen. With two fixtures left Lutterworth have secured second place in The League taking them to a playoff for the prize of Midlands Two rugby for the first time in The Club’s long history.

The visitors took the lead with a converted penalty less than a minute into the game. In the final analysis however it was Bobby William’s boot that found the target during the dying minutes giving Lutterworth the lead for the first time in this gripping contest and wrenching the two points from their rivals who have shadowed and threatened all season.

The home side’s midfield defence (or at times lack of!) was given a stern examination by Coalville’s outstanding centre back combination but it was a second row who trundled over for the visitor’s first try giving them an early lead of 10 to 0. In an early attack that came to nought full back Jimmy Croucher had cut the Coalville defence into ribbons; winger Tom Carter was also looking dangerous. After narrowly failing to touch down an inspired little chip from fly half  Gaz Court Carter was very unlucky to have what looked like a perfectly good try disallowed. However, old faithful, Alan Johnson, put the record straight moments later going over from a penalty line out catch and drive. Coalville’s ten missed a penalty but ran in a fine individual effort to extend their lead to twelve points and before the break Williams found the posts leaving the half time score at eight to seventeen.

Flankers Chris Gregory and Geraint Davies were tireless and outstanding.  It was Gregory who ten minutes into the second period deftly off loaded to Carter who this time made sure and brought Lutterworth to within two points. Undaunted Coalville replied when their number nine broke from the back of a scrum, another fine individual effort. A second William’s penalty narrowed the gap again but things looked bleak when, with fifteen minutes left, Lutterworth went down to fourteen men after Dennis Hall was sin-binned. With their captain off the field Lutterworth responded to the challenge and when hooker Paul Riley popped the ball up near the Coalville line, winger Ben Stretton snatched the difficult pass from over his head and stormed in to take his team to within one point. With minutes left Williams missed what seemed a critical penalty but made up for it moments later leaving the visitors feeling as though they had been mugged!       

Scoring:     0-3;  0-10;  5-10;  5-17;  8-17 ;15-17;  15-24;  18-24;  23-24;  26-24

Team:                    Jones    A.Johnson   Stevens

                                            Conway  Evans

                                      Gregory   Hall     Davies

                                                Bell   Court                      

                          Daffern  Williams  Roberson   Carter 

                                                 Croucher

Reps:      Riley   Husthwaite  Stretton