Saturday 20 February 2010
Southern Counties South
Vaughan’s break is a show-stopper
No result – match abandoned after 48 minutes (Minety 1st XV 7 pts – Corsham 1st XV 10 pts)
A serious leg injury to Minety flyhalf Tim Vaughan shortly after the start of the second half brought this evenly matched game to a sudden and premature halt.
Looking stronger up front than they have at any time since Christmas, Minety started well, moving the ball smartly among the forwards as well as serving it out to the backs. Corsham for their part won plenty of possession but struggled to make headway on the heavy playing surface.
Ten minutes in and Corsham were whisking the ball out along their threequarter line when Minety centre Max Sparrow intervened, plucking the ball out of the air and pirating it away downfield. His 50 metre dash for a try under the posts then set up an easy conversion for his fellow centre Jack Ward.
A penalty goal after half an hour’s play got the visitors on the scoreboard but they looked unlikely to penetrate Minety’s defence until a misjudged clearance kick just before half-time inadvertently served them with perfect ball right in the middle of the field. Passing it left and then right, Corsham kept the ball alive until lock Dale Ivory finished the move by steaming over for a try. Dan Galsworthy kicked the conversion and the teams turned round at 7-10 in the visitors’ favour.
Bereft of replacements, Corsham started the second half with only 14 men after an injury to one of their flankers and Minety clearly fancied their chances. The injury to Vaughan ended play after only a few minutes, however. An ambulance was summoned and both teams’ physios did what they could to make the injured player warm and comfortable until further help arrived.
The paramedics eventually removed Vaughan for treatment and, with the light going and only 48 minutes played, the referee declared the match null and void. A date will now have to be found to replay the fixture before the end of the season.
Minety’s next scheduled outing is an away game on Saturday 6 March, when they take on Oldfield Old Boys.