Saturday 27 February 2010
Stroud Combination Cup, 1st Round
Minety inch past Minch
Minety 2nd XV 30 pts – Minchinhampton 25 pts
Minety seconds battled through wind and rain and acres of mud to edge a powerful Minchinhampton XV out of this year’s Stroud Combination Cup.
With a large pack and plenty of determination at their disposal, Minchinhampton were soon making their mark on this game. Playing down the hill in the first half, they kicked a penalty goal and mauled the home forwards back over their line for a try. The conversion raised their first half tally to 10 points.
Defying the wet conditions, Minety centre Luke Radcliffe broke two tackles as he scooted in for his side’s first try.
Minety’s next came from number 8 Ian Illingworth, who picked up from the back of a scrum seven metres out and powered over for the score. A successful conversion by Andy Edwards gave the home side a narrow two-point lead at the break.
The visitors coped well with the slope in the second half and scored two further tries. The first came from a quickly taken tap penalty, the second from a driving move following a lineout. There was no stopping the Minchinhampton number 8 as he broke from the maul and crashed through for the score.
A penalty goal and one conversion out of two attempts gave Minch a respectable 25 point total, but the home team matched them step for step, exploiting the slope and maintaining their narrow lead.
Skipper Steve Murray was held up over the line but Andy Ward, on as a second half replacement at number 8, gathered and went from the base of a five metre scrum and burrowed through for a try.
Minety’s other substitute, Reuben Saunders, also made his mark, entering the threequarter line on the 22 to take the ball on the burst and speed through for a score.
But Minety’s trump card was kicker Edwards, who landed a conversion, a penalty and a drop goal in the second half to see his side safely through to the next round.
Next Saturday, Minety seconds return to league action with a home game against Chippenham thirds.
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