Pethy earn a deserved draw from an enjoyable game

24/01/09 - Friendly: North Petherton III 14 v 14 Wiveliscombe III

Report by Cameron Kirk

This was probably Petherton’s most enjoyable game of the season as they eventually played a team of a similar standing.  A draw was a fair score line and mirrored the amount of possession and pressure enjoyed by both teams.

The day did not start well for Pethy though as Tim Pike tried to increase his chances of getting into the starting XV by breaking a bone in Steve Woods’ foot!!

Petherton started the game brightly but their inability to secure the ball at breakdowns meant that they struggled to put points on the board.  However after a strong break from the forwards Cameron Kirk fed full back Archie Walford and he beat three players to score under the posts, Kirk converted.  Archie would then have had a second but in his head he’d raced past two defenders from the halfway line and scored under the posts.... unfortunately reality struck when he realised the first thing to do is to hold onto the scoring pass!!!! 

Wiveliscombe came back strongly and Petherton got the impression that it would be a long afternoon trying to stop their number eight.  It was clear that any first team would relish having him in their side, unfortunately for Petherton he was in a third team!!  It was inevitable that he would score at some point and it was him who brought them level. 

The game seesawed from end to end and despite Petherton’s best efforts they found themselves 14-7 down at half-time.  

The second half saw Petherton playing up the hill but a strong team talk at half-time seemed to have woken them up.  It also saw the return to rugby for Darren “Teflon” Britton and Roger Evans, Cameron’s saturday night “press ganging” had worked again.  Petherton pressurised the Wivey line and were rewarded with a try from winger Jason Carter.  Archie Walford was involved again when he drew the last defender to give Jason the scoring pass, scrum half Neil Lennox converted. 

With renewed vigour Petherton were contesting strongly at breakdowns and this kept Wivey at bay.  However their “man mountain” was always a threat and Petherton were fortunate when he dropped the ball over the line.  Unfortunately for Petherton their line-out stopped functioning for the last 15 minutes and several forays into the Wivey 22 saw them come away with nothing.

On the whole this was another successful afternoon underlined by the fact that Cameron had 23 to pick from.  It was an excellent team performance which saw scrum half Neil Lennox marshalling his forwards well, Archie Walford having a strong game at full back and Kev Gray being his usual effervescent self.

The games are running out and we’re still on drop goal watch.

Team: 
B.Frost, T.Field, G.James R.Kearle, G.Coles, L.Hughes, A.Prowse, C.Clatworthy, K.Gray, J.Dillon, T.Pike, Paul, N.Lennox, C.Kirk, K.Sewell, D.Puddy, S.Hines, A.Walford, J.Carter, Dillon, N.Rose, R.Evans, D.Britton.