With changes again across the team and injury to Ben Trinham the Lions played bravely against a hefty Moseley Oak side but lost to two converted tries, one in the last couple of minutes that robbed them of a bonus point. Despite creating arguably more chances than the home team, with at least 4 one on ones close to the home line, a lack of maturity in decision making, allied to experience at stand-off for Moseley Oak and the sheer weight of their forwards, saw the home side run out 14-3 winners.

The first half saw the Lions create numerous chances through their backs, with Cass Brookes making a couple of sharp breaks at inside centre, but last-ditch defence and handling errors conspired to keep the match scoreless until just before half-time, when Tom Mitchell kicked a monster penalty from just inside the Lions half to give the away side a 3-0 half-time advantage. It was becoming clear to a frustrated Lions coach and following, however, that the yawning space behind a very narrow home back line was not being exploited.

The second half proved to be more challenging, with the home side, marshalled by the experienced Ollie Thomas at 10, gradually asserting physical authority playing downhill. Despite this the Lions still had a chance to score, not least when George Tildesley almost made to the line after a good backs move. Oak, however, rumbled over the line half-way through the second half for a converted try and then again near the end for another converted try despite there being more than a suspicion that the scorer dropped the ball over the line.

As the saying goes, so near and yet so far, but the Lions put up a strong performance with another changed team, enough to suggest that this can be reversed in the home match between the teams. Player coach Dawes felt that the team played well but that a little more judgement in attack could have reaped more success. All in all, a frustrating afternoon but good performances in the pack with both Bowsers prominent in the tight and the back row standing firm against a bigger pack. The backs showed that they could live at this level, with strong showings from Mitchell, Brookes and Aikman at fullback and some sharp running from Tildesley.

by JON DEWS, pics by SIAN DAVIES