Determined Petherton finish off the year with a good victory

16/12/06 - Somerset One: North Petherton 17 v 7 Broad Plain

Report by Jim Keay from the Bridgwater Mercury

North Petherton took their chances well to record a scrappy victory over fourth placed Broad Plain on Saturday. The visitors, a typically feisty outfit from Bristol, had the advantage of possession for much of the game, but whilst their handling was poor, the Petherton defence was so good that they were outscored three tries to one.

Openside flanker Ross Finlayson had another immense game for Petherton, who had usual hooker Miles McNeillie on the wing, where he never missed a tackle.

With both scrum halves Kev Ryburuk and Karl Jarvis missing through injury, Petherton switched the versatile Lloyd Williams to No. 9 with Tom Williams, usually at full-back, at No. 10. A couple of times they did well to get away with the fly-half's mistakes in an unfamiliar position, but he did well, particularly in defence.

Broad Plain attacked for virtually the whole of the first twenty minutes. The home side had just one break out after 12 minutes when Lloyd Williams raced 30 metres from a scrum in his own half, but he lacked support.

As the visitors' onslaught was resisted and gradually faded, Petherton went close to scoring twice, both from shrewd diagonal kicks by Tom Williams, which just eluded the sprinting Archie Walford and Ben Williams.

Finally the deadlock was broken after 27 minutes when, following good rucking and driving from the home forwards, Tom Williams was put into a gap by a quick pass from Lloyd Williams and went over on the blind side, running round between the posts to give himself an easy conversion.

Five minutes later, the same formula worked again for Petherton. Powerful lock Mike Coles and prop Matt Glanville set things up, then Tom Williams passed from the ground to skipper James Lees, and he sent Ben Williams over in the corner for an unconverted try.

Petherton had taken a 12-0 half-time lead playing up the slope, against the breeze and into the low sun, so the second half should have been a formality for them.

Things looked even better for them when the Plain hooker was sin-binned for a late tackle on Tom Williams two minutes into the second half. From the penalty and line-out that resulted, Petherton powered a driving maul over the line from 20 metres out, and Ross Finlayson got the touchdown to make it 17-0.

That was really as good as it got for Petherton. An injury to young hooker Paul Gibbs meant that when Matt Burge replaced him, Petherton now had four props playing in their pack, with prop Rob Newton, who had begun the match in the second row, now switched to hooker. With a disjointed lineup their set piece began to suffer as a few scrums were turned over and they struggled to find their men in the lineout, which increased the pressure.

Broad Plain's backs suddenly found some pace and snap, but were denied time and again by great defence, particularly from centre Rob Havill. McNeillie saved a certain try with a great tackle in the corner and Finlayson kept pinching the ball on the ground.

After 52 minutes Lloyd Williams was also helped off after an elbow to the face had given him a black eye and a blood injury. He returned a few minutes later just after Broad Plain had scored a try from a quickly taken penalty. It was converted.

Tom Williams eventually ended an ensuing 15 minute spell of pressure from visitors, who began using their forwards to pick and drive their way into the Petherton 22, but were continually repelled by some strong defending. Home centre Russell Williams was then yellow carded for illegal handling in a ruck with seven minutes left and the 14 men came under the cosh again. They held out well and no one could fault the defence and commitment of the Petherton team.

Tries: T.Williams, B.Williams, Finlayson

Cons: T.Williams

Pens:

Drop Goals:

Team: 15. B.Williams, 14. McNeillie, 13. R.Williams, 12. Havill, 11. A.Walford, 10. T.Williams, 9. L.Williams (Blood Rep. Kirk 52-58), 1. Glanville, 2. Gibbs (Rep. M.Burge 44), 3. Webber, 4. Newton, 5. Coles, 6. Varcoe (Rep. Mantyk 70), 7. Finlayson, 8. Lees.