Second Team pick up first victory of the season

13/09/08 - Tribute Somerset Three South: Winscombe III 14 v 32 North Petherton II

Pethy Seconds recovered from a poor first twenty minutes to record their first victory of the season over a spirited Winscombe Third team, who started with a bare 15 and played most of the second half with 14 men. Whilst this was never going to be an easy match, Pethy made hard work of it and gifted the hosts an interception try when trying to run the ball out of their own 22 in the opening 10 minutes.

The lack of training together meant the side struggled to gel and play with any coherence early on, and they were again pegged back in their own half after struggling to keep hold of the ball for more than a phase or two. Further mistakes in possession gave the ball to the Winscombe forwards who made good ground before their right winger picked the ball out of a ruck and ran over for their second try. Both tries were converted to give them a 14-0 lead.

After this Pethy finally got their hands on the ball, and when they started to put some phases together, it was clear that there would be many opportunities for them to make good ground and score some tries. Pethy were soon back in the game thanks to a penalty by Lloyd Steward just outside of the 22 as Petherton's pack were finally able to exert some pressure on the home side and force the error.

Soon after the restart Pethy scored a great try from their own half as some quick hands in the backs gave full-back Rob Havill space to exploit before he passed it inside to scrum-half Neil Lennox, who ran in from 30 metre's to score the try to the left of the posts. Lloyd Steward duly converted and Pethy were now only 10-14 down.

Petherton were then reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes when flanker Adie Harris was yellow carded for entering the side of the ruck after Pethy turned over the ball. However, they were now making better use of their possession with the powerful running of No 8 Wayne Pither giving Petherton a good platform to attack from. It was Pither himself who gave Pethy the lead just before the break when he took a short pass from fly-half Sutherland-Earl on the Winscombe 22 and busted through a couple of tackles to score under the posts. Lloyd Steward converted and added another penalty to give his side a 20-14 half-time lead.

With several changes at half-time and just after the break, Pethy were again scrappy in their play at times. With Adie Harris returned from the sin-bin, Pethy took the upper hand up front as their opponents began to tire, producing some good lineout catch-and-drives, as well as turning over several Winscombe scrums.

Pethy scored their third try around the 50 minute mark following an excellent break by Second-Row Dan Rood. Picking up the ball from a quick ruck on the Winscombe 10-meter line, he broke through a couple of tackles and made it to within 10 meters of the try-line before off-loading the ball out of the tackle to fellow Second-Row Nick Pocock, who did well to scoop the pass up from his bootlaces to score under the posts. Steward again converted the try.

Pethy continued to dominate but failed to make the most of several attacks inside the Winscombe 22. They did finally take an opportunity with player's queuing up to score to the left and right of a ruck near the Winscombe posts. The ball went right and quickly through the hands to winger Lloyd Steward to score in the corner. He was then unlucky to maintain his 100% kicking record for the afternoon when the conversion from near the touchline hit the post.

Pethy struggled for the remaining ten minutes and Winscombe nearly scored again at the end but were thwarted by a superb last ditch tackle that held up the Winscombe No.8 inches short of the line.

For Petherton, Nick Pocock was outstanding throughout, always in support of the ball carrier and making good yards with the ball in hand. Once he had stopped falling foul of the referee, Adie Harris was abrasive as usual at the breakdown and Wayne Pither's strong running was missed when cracked ribs forced him off at the break. Pethy's player's were happy at the end to have won and they came back well from 14 nil down to win. However, they were capable of playing much better than they did and that can only be sorted out on the training pitch.

H/T: 14-20

Tries: Lennox, Pither, Pocock, Lloyd Steward

Cons: Lloyd Steward (3)

Pens: Lloyd Steward (2)

Drop Goals:

Team: 15. Havill, 14. Lloyd Steward, 13. Powell, 12. D.Steward, 11. Rose (Rep. J.Rae, 40), 10. Sutherland-Earl (Rep. Pierce, 50), 9. Lennox (Rep. Tozer, 35), 1. Jennings (Rep. M.Burge, 50), 2. Glanville, 3. Scott, 4. Pocock, 5. Rood, 6. Harris, 7. D.Rae, 8. Pither (Rep. Gibbs, 40).