MATLOCK 1XV 33 | 38 LICHFIELD 1XV
Ditch Burton had poignantly made the comment the previous week that no away game in this league is easy and his antidote was to score three tries on Saturday – all from less than five metres – in a game that was testing despite Matlock being third from bottom. For fifty minutes the two sides traded try for try until Lichfield scored three in a row to take them out to 38-26, only for the home side to manage a seven pointer with two minutes to go. Those last 120 seconds were spent in a midfield stalemate, so Lichfield were able to maintain their 100% record.
There was no shortage of endeavour from the Myrtle Greens this week, but some of their one on one tackling was disappointing at times, which on three occasions gave Matlock ‘’easy’’ tries and 19 points. However, Lichfield dogged it out with determination and won with six tries in a game of eleven overall.
With only five minutes gone and the visitors looking comfortable with their efforts, a misread and a missed tackle allowed right wing, Danny McCrea, to escape for the opening try (5-0). The response from Lichfield was based around trying to play quickly and wide, which eventually brought Burton his first, picking a perfect line.
Matlock’s next came from a driven line out finished by Lewis Richardson, converted by George Adlington, before a training ground move left Paul Maxwell-Keys to bash his way through two tacklers. Kai Lucas-Dumolo added a second conversion with two more following after half time. With half time approaching, the city side lost their lead again when they let left wing, Sammy Cunningham, fly down the wing past two tacklers, Adlington converted from the touchline to gain a lead of 19-14 at the break.
Lichfield decided on some changes in personnel and formation at the interval and it nearly worked instantly, but a scoring pass went to ground. Lichfield were now playing with more assurance and Burton proved unstoppable for number two, only for them to lose the ball on the Matlock ‘’22’’ in their next attack and McCrea was scooting away for a long range converted try.
The visitors were now applying pressure regularly and Matlock struggled to cope with the pace the game was now being played at. Lots of patient approach work left Burton with room to squeeze over and Matlock then presented a try to Sam Benson after losing control of a turned over ball. Rhys Davies was now in the scrum half role, making a welcome debut at this level and reviving the half back partnership with Josh Butler from the colts last season.
With Matlock now getting stretched regularly, Ollie Green scored next and Lucas-Dumolo was tackled high to take Matlock down to thirteen players. Perhaps, not surprisingly, Lichfield then found themselves down to the same number in a bizarre few minutes. So, just when Lichfield looked comfortable, they were presented with having to deal with Matlock returning to full numbers. Eventually, pressure told and Harry Houghton’s converted effort gave them some hope of a late steal, but that was not to be.
Next week, Lichfield’s two men’s teams have a week off with league action returning on 30 November with the 1st XV at home to Paviors, KO 2.15pm.
LICHFIELD 2s 26 ATHERSTONE 1s 7 PTS
This was very much a stop, start game with lots of scrums, yet Lichfield 2s were able to score four tries to gain another useful bonus point win against first team opposition.
Harrison Stratford, regularly on the try scoring chart, and a purposeful Jack Hamlet scored two first half tries, both converted by Neil Antcliffe, before the visitors halved the lead. This lead was extended before the break when the speedy James McKenzie scored the third, which was converted by Antcliffe.
With the weather closing in, the game became even more bogged down with scrummages, however, a fourth try was scored by first year ex colt, George Brown, and Jack Barnes also came on for a senior league debut.
At the moment, the 2s have a two week rest, as it is their turn to miss out on a game on 30 November with an odd number of teams being in their league.
c/o Dave Lewis