DOUBLE OVER CAROLIANS!

DOUBLE OVER CAROLIANS!

A long and occasionally difficult season is close to an end with the Lions in 5th place and 1 game to go at bottom 3 placed Ludlow. From the beginning of what looked like a very difficult season in a tough league the whole squad deserve great credit for achieving a better position than at first thought. No cheering yet but a good win at Ludlow could see the Lions as high as 4th.

The local derby at home to Kidderminster came after the usual excellent SLUGS lunch that set a large and excited crowd up for what proved to be an excellent game. It was nip and tuck throughout with the lead exchanging hands and a half-time lead of 13-12 to 3rd placed Kiddie. The final score of 29-23 was an advertisement for a fine game.

A great move and final break by Chance gave the Lions first blood after 15 mins. Back came the visitors with a well worked converted try after a great deal of pressure and a penalty to Kiddie shortly thereafter gave them what seemed to be a comfortable 10-5 lead. However another fine move left Harry Wainwright clear for a good try which, converted, gave the Lions a slight lead, slightly spoiled when they gave away a penalty under pressure for a Kiddie lead at the half.

Shortly after kick-off another Kiddie penalty stretched their lead but great attacking pressure and a fine run down the left gave George Tildesley a try converted by Wainwright. A subsequent penalty by Wainwright at this stage gave the Lions a 22-16 lead with just under 20 mins of the second half gone. This was further embellished by a great break and try from Scotty Langdon from just inside the visitors’ half. A fifth try for the Lions and the conversion by Wainwright gave the Lions a seemingly unassailable lead with around 15 mins to go.
Not a bit of it – back came the visitors again and a converted try with around 5- mins to go gave the Lions a great deal of anxiety. However the measure of the Lions’ increasing maturity over the season was that they managed to keep the ball for much of the ensuing few minutes and keep Kiddie in their own half.

An entertaining match and home win but one to which Kidderminster contributed greatly. There will be more close clashes next season, of that we can all be sure and it’s a sign of the good health of local rugby.

There were fine performances all round but special mention must go to the forwards who never took a backward step, the general defensive organisation and above all the mature game control of Sam Robinson. We cannot quite call him an old head just yet but he showed his National League experience with an astute performance which was remarked upon by several observers after the game.

JON DEWS