Bridgwater and Albion

BRIDGWATER & ALBION ATHLETIC 10  MINEHEAD BARBARIANS II 0

DIRT-TRACKERS BACK TO FORM IN TOUGH ENCOUNTER

Albion’s Athletic XV, reeling from a surprise defeat at Castle Cary the previous week, needed to be on their mettle in this anticipated tough game against the Minehead second string.  Earlier in the season, the Dirt-Trackers had prevailed 24-12 on the sloping fields at Ellicombe.  

Albion welcomed back Drabble and Ward ended up having a busy afternoon on his return.  In the opening stages Albion were under pressure mainly due to their penchant of giving away penalties and also because the Minehead breakaways were fast and furious into the tackle, particularly around the base of the scrum.  They scrabbled ball and made good ground and it needed good Albion defence where Stukes and Stanley were particularly prominent to prevent any more headway.  Albion soon fired themselves up and Willis and Grubb almost both burst through.

In the 9th minute Albion took the first of many scrums against the head and Drabble and Frost made good progress but further penalties lost the good ground gained.  Stukes almost burst through but again an offside penalty enabled Minehead to clear.  After 15 minutes Albion produced their best handling move of 2010 with Stukes and Coates prominent, but again the move ended with the concession of a penalty to the relieved visitors.  Both sides were having spells of dominance and then had to go on the defensive as the other took over and Minehead eased their way upfield but lost a good chance from a line-out near the Albion line when Frost put in a good clearance.  Minehead went back on the attack and Albion were again under pressure behind the line-out with the Minehead loose forwards piling in.  The visitors maintained their presence in the Albion half but both sides knocked on with abandon.  Minehead burst up the left-hand side but Albion held them, then conceded a penalty but the kick at goal missed.  Just before half time Albion repelled suggestions of a Minehead score and kicked their way out of trouble.  Willis rang back an errant Minehead kick but was stopped just in time.  Taylor kicked on and almost collected the favourable bounce.  Minehead were still keeping a close eye around the fringes and disrupted several promising Albion pieces of possession.  Half time arrived with the game scoreless.  

In the second half Albion immediately put together their best move of the match to date running from deep inside their own half well into the Minehead 22.  They were able to maintain the pressure and the forwards typically at last swarmed together and drove over with Page-Symonds being credited with the try.  Frost converted from a wide angle.  Albion almost immediately yielded the advantage with a poor kick from a line-out giving the Minehead full back a chance to make considerable ground before he was stopped.  Albion’s pack were now getting their act together – something which was missing at Castle Cary - and drove in typical fashion, denying the opposition the ball and causing them considerable problems, particularly in the scrums.  Albion’s tackling was also firm with the back row coming more and more into its own.  In the 50th minute Minehead mounted what was effectively their last attack, but that was soon snaffled by the Albion defence and it was now Minehead who were conceding regular penalties.  After 65 minutes House, who had come on as a replacement, pursued his own kick and reclaimed it expertly.  This took Albion into Minehead’s 22 where they remained for the rest of the match.  They took the ball twice against the head from the first of these successes, Frost knocked on but redeemed matters in the 70th minute when he kicked a penalty to advance the lead to 10-0.  Incidentally this was Albion’s first penalty points of the season.  Thereafter Drabble’s kick and chase almost produced a further score and the game ended with Albion pressurising the Minehead line with the visitors desperately keeping them out.  

This was a good all-round performance which took a while to warm up but the Albion pack ultimately dominated the game with the front row far superior to their opposition and the back row finally taking the plaudits after an enterprising opening by their Minehead counterparts.  In the middle Page-Symonds and Worgan worked tirelessly to secure and advance the ball.  Whilst matters were not too smooth at half back, mainly due to the pressure from the Minehead back row, there were good signs from the three-quarter line with important thrusts from all players from time to time.  In addition the defence was generally sound.  

This win will have buoyed Albion and secured their advantage at the top of the league.  They now take a rest (as if one was needed!) on Saturday before returning to the fray at North Petherton on 13 February hoping to repeat the 60-3 home victory in October.  

Team:  Taylor;  Willis  Grubb  Coates  Ward;  Frost  Drabble;  Hobbs  Stukes  Stanley  Page-Symonds  Worgan  Ball  Norman  Ruddle.  Replacements – used – Rae  House  Hale.  Unused – Pike  Berry  Williamson  Smith.

Scorers:  Try – Page-Symonds  Con – Frost  Pen -  Frost

H-T 0-0.