Without several first team backs, Pethy were lucky that Rob Havill became available on Friday and veteran Mark Sutherland Earl was available or things would have been much harder in the backline, what with Tom and Russ Williams still injured, Steve Ladd away, Stuart Pearn working, no second team backs available and with the colts playing on the Sunday, there was limited resources.

Playing up a slight slope, Pethy found the first half tough work. When they did move their way up the pitch, they made hard work of keeping the ball, and too many unforced errors and a determined home defence turned the ball over. When the home side got their hands on the ball in their own half they kicked deep down field, mainly towards inexperienced wing Luke Williams, who in his first 1st team start did extremely well, both in catching the high ball and having a go at running it back.

Early on in the first half the aggressive Bawtree took a knock to the ankle and had to be replaced, which was a great shame as he was making it hard work for the home team to make ground around the fringes. Midway through the first half Lloyd Williams picked up an injury to his side and Pethy were lucky that the home team didn’t take more advantage of this as Pethy had no replacement backs.

Petherton looked most dangerous when they tried to run the ball and off load in the tackle area, but the ball was often slowed at the breakdown by a lumpy home pack. The home team got a few good rolling mauls going but luckily not in a scoring area. In the first half both teams did get close to the line, but were unable to cross for the score, due to some aggressive and committed defensive play.

Early in the second half Pethy gained good position after a couple of deep kicks, following good pressure from Luke and Ben Williams that resulted in a penalty 10 metre's out and close to the touchline. Captain Lloyd Williams elected to kick for the corner, and the forwards made easy work of the drive and Simon Gingell came up with the ball claiming a forwards try. Matt Brown missed the conversion.

Pethy then took control of the game and looked likely to score further points. The home team continued to defend well and made the breakdown area a lottery, and penalties increased greatly against both sides and the game began to become stop start as a result. Pethy’s grip on a tight game was lost after a couple of unforced errors allowed the home team to kick their way down field. After a silly mistake by Pethy in their own 22, the home team camped themselves on the Pethy Line for about 15 minutes, but the tackles continued to be made and the defence held out. Eventually good work from backs, as the home team eventually spread the ball wide, especially by Matt Foad, turned over the ball allowing Lloyd Williams to send it deep down field.

Pethy soon found themselves on the home teams 22 following some good driving play. However the opposition 12 suddenly came away with the ball and raced away in the clear. Veteran Mark Sutherland Earl covered across well and but could only make half a tackle, but it was enough to slow him down allowing Lloyd Williams to bring him down just inside the Pethy 22. The rest of the Pethy defence was quickly on hand to stop any offload and to regain possession.

With only 10 minutes to go Pethy again began to work their way down the field, with a combination of good back play and the forwards interlinking and offloading in the tackle well. Several phases of quick ball saw Pethy go deep into the opposition 22, and after sending the ball across the pitch several times eventually forwards were defending backs and Matt Foad rounded his man and scored. Lloyd Williams converted.

The forwards worked tirelessly all afternoon and held their own against a big, aggressive home pack. They defended well and looked dangerous with ball in hand. Mike Coles in particular was a colossus for Pethy, continually breaking up the strong Imperial maul and turning the ball over.

The backs also defended well, but struggled to get pace into their attacks, limited mainly by the injury to fly half Lloyd Williams who was a spectator to most of the game. His defensive duties were mainly covered by the hard work of the Pethy Flankers, Matt Brown and Simon Gingell.

H/T: 0-0

Tries: Gingell, Foad

Cons: L.Williams

Pens:

Drop Goals:

Team: 15. Sutherland-Earl, 14. Luke Williams, 13. Havill, 12. Foad, 11. B.Williams, 10. Lloyd Williams, 9. Rybaruk, 1. Kingston, 2. Glanville (Rep. Pocock, 70), 3. Webber, 4. Coles, 5. Gingell, 6. Bawtree (Rep. H.Brown, 10), 7. M.Brown, 8. Lees.