1st TEAM Match Report
Saturday 10th April 2010
League Game
Lutterworth 22pts v Northampton BBOB 7pts
It’s all rather like finally grasping the soap in the bath, after having such a difficult time you wonder what all the fuss was about? Lutterworth, after struggling all season to capture that elusive winning habit have finally grabbed the soap and now look unlikely to let go. After recently putting local rivals Vipers and high flying Market Harborough to the sword with great skill and panache they showed on Saturday that there is more than one way to skin a cat. This was a determined and patient display more akin to a top of the table team, slowly but surely they wrested control from what, initially, looked a dangerous attacking outfit and yes, the Northampton cat was slowly strangled.
BBOB’s only score of the afternoon was fast and incisive, after only two minutes of play their converted try gave them a seven to nil lead and for the next twenty minutes they looked more than capable of adding to that score. Instead of panicking the home side absorbed several waves of attack and as the Lutterworth pack, especially the back row of Randle, Turner and Parker, gradually began to dominate the breakdown, the Northampton side was forced into errors and infringements quickly penalised by the referee. Once again it was centre, Robin Eager, who stepped up to the mark and clinically kicked his side into a first half lead that was marginally against the run of play. The Lutterworth pack were firmly in control not only in the set piece, the first penalty was the result of a fast moving driving maul that BBOB’s could only stop by illegally bringing it down. Another successful kick brought Lutterworth to within a point and a fast moving incursion into BBOB’s twenty two by old mates Donovan and Daffern allowed Eager to kick his side into a slender half time lead.
After the break it was pretty much one way traffic, Eager kicked two from three attempts in the first fifteen minutes and shortly afterwards, replacement stand off, Andy Burgess went over in the corner and as Eager slotted the difficult conversion Lutterworth found themselves with a commanding fifteen point lead. As is often the case BBOB’s came back strongly in the final minutes. Now on the back foot it was Lutterworth who gave away penalties but BBOB’s failed to capitalise and were further frustrated when great defensive work by wingers Joe Ball and Phil Daffern denied them even a consolation seven points.
Not only was this a successful afternoon in the field. The recent severe injury to First Team Captain, Paul Riley, has led to a flood of generosity from the Lutterworth faithful to the Club’s newly formed ‘Serious Injury Fund’. Highlight of Saturday’s raffle was the auction of one of two shirts donated by Harry Ellis which raised £400. It would seem that in only seven days several thousand pounds have been raised, a testament to a great Club in the greatest sport. The writer is delighted also to report that Paul, having undergone lengthy surgery, is back at home and hopefully recovering well. Everyone at the Club wishes him a complete and speedy full recovery.
*NB any reader wishing to donate to the ‘Serious Injury Fund’, please contact M.Willey, 01455 554802.
Scoring: 0-7, 3-7, 6-7, 9-7 ,12-7, 15-7, 22-7.
Team: Kilburn Tebb Jones
Parker Randle Turner
Donovan Dann
Ball Eager Goldsworthy Williams
Daffern
Reps; Sands Burgess King
Scorers: Burgess - Try Eager - 5 penalties, 1 conversion
Lutterworth ‘man of the match’ tied between Richard Jones and lee Donovan