Saturday 10 March 2012
Minety let it slip
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Bradford-on-Avon 1st XV 21pts – Minety 1st XV 20pts
In a thrillingly close encounter, Minety displayed great attacking flare in establishing a lead, but let it slip through poor tackling and tactical naivety.
Bradford started positively, missed a penalty but continued to press. From a five metre scrum, they drove their opponents back to the line, where the scrumhalf fished out the ball and dived over for a try.
Bradford’s Matt Edwards slotted the goal, but Minety powered straight back, charging down the flyhalf’s attempted clearance from the restart. The ball ricocheted backwards and Minety’s Robin Greenway got their first. A touch down, a conversion from skipper Jack Ward, and the sides were level again.
When Bradford were pinged for offside and then gave away 10 metres through backchat, Ward opted to try for goal. A nicely struck kick made it 7-10.
An attacking lineout was the opportunity for Minety to move the ball the entire width of the field, where Jonty Messer scooted down the touchline to complete a great team try.
Having turned round at 7-15, Minety were soon adding further points. From a scrum on the 22, short runs and quick passes by flanker Ashley Windle and number 8 Max Smith set up winger Tom Fitzcharles, who dashed in for a try in the corner.
Stung into action, Bradford began to make inroads, rampaging up the centre of the pitch. Minety’s chest-high tackles failed to stop them and often allowed the ball carrier to offload.
A clearance kick which failed to find touch gave the home team just the chance they needed. Running back at their opponents, they broke through for a try, which Edwards converted.
For a while, neither side had the advantage, but when the hosts got into Minety’s 22, their flyhalf put a neat kick over the heads of the visitors as they rushed out in defence and it was a Bradford player who was first to get to the ball and ground it.
The game then hung on Edwards’ kick, but he made no mistake and, with the clock ticking down and Minety unable to gain field position, the match belonged to Bradford, albeit by only a single point.
Comments