Chard II 20 - 15 Dirt-trackers
Match report by Mike Berry
Skipper's inspired hat trick fails to save Dirt-trackers
The Dirt-Trackers travelled to Chard with some expectation following an earlier 53-7 victory over the same opponents at College Way. However, they were forced to make several changes from their normal line-up including positional alterations resulting in two forwards having to appear in the centre positions and had lost one of their other key players to club requirements.
However it was Albion who made the brighter start when Lang intercepted Chard’s first attempt to move the ball and make ground. The typical Dirt-Trackers’ forward drive took play near the Chard line but the home stand-off responded with an excellent clearance taking play up to half way. Excellent spoiling by Stanley and Hicks around the base of the scrum kept Chard on the defensive. Hobbs poached a Chard throw-in at the line-out but Albion lost the ball and Chard hacked it 40 metres to safety.
The home side were now coming more into the game and were assisted by Albion’s abysmal kicking which gave them plenty of scope to make ground. In the 15th minute Albion conceded an offside penalty but Chard missed the simple kick at goal, but remained deep in Albion territory. Three minutes later their forwards burst down the blind side and their stand-off took over to crash over in the corner for the opening score. Albion kicked the restart out on the full and put themselves immediately under pressure again. Albion’s poor kicking continued, gifting the ball to the opposition. They also lost several line-outs. Taylor was certainly the busier of the two full-backs having to deal with several testing kicks, whereas his opposite number had the luxury of balls straight at him and with plenty of room in which to move. In the 26th minute Frost almost intercepted but just could not hold on to the ball. Albion lost another line-out deep in Chard territory and despite great work by Stanley, Chard were able to clear fully 50 metres. Seven minutes before half-time another poor Albion kick allowed the Chard outsides to break through and they were aided by some poor tackling and crashed over again on the right-hand side. From the kick-off, Chard gained possession and moved the ball left this time, where their winger waltzed through some half-hearted tackles to score a try in the opposite corner to give the home side a 15-0 lead. Just on half time Frost kicked a penalty to the corner, skipper Norman drove but was stopped and a penalty was conceded as the half time whistle blew.
Albion pepped up their game immediately at the start of the second half and introduced more venom, which they had been lacking throughout the first period. Coates made a fine break, but the pass went down. In the 44th minute Albion, now putting pressure on the home side, won a penalty and Norman typically tapped it and crashed through the Chard ranks to reduce the arrears. However Albion compounded this score fatally by failing to clear the kick-off as Chard swarmed to their line and again crashed over to restore their 15 point lead. For the last half an hour of the game, Albion pressed almost continually but the game became scrappy with penalty awards being frequent. In the 50th minute Norman almost scrambled over again. Pike, who had come on as a replacement, missed a golden opportunity to score when he dropped the overlap pass in the corner. Although Chard were assisted by some excellent clearances by their stand-off, Albion generally remained in their territory and on the attack and it was no surprise when in the 66th minute, the forwards drove and Norman was bundled over. He repeated the dose again in the 76th minute, securing an inspirational hat-trick, but whilst he was clearly on top of his game, not many others were and it was almost a lone vigil. Albion pressed again, looking for the equalising or winning score but it would not come.
A disappointing result and performance. Albion’s kickers have clearly been watching too much International rugby football with the ball aimlessly booted to the opposition. Whereas the home side kicked intelligently as Albion’s back three Taylor, Lang, Smith and Pike will confirm, as they all had testing afternoons dealing with balls intelligently kicked away or beyond them or near the touchline, leaving them with little option. A true lesson here.
This result now leaves Albion in something of a quandary with their nearest rivals Wellington II idle, both sides now have three defeats. There are still six matches left and the return match against Wellington on 13 March could now be the key.
Albion return to College Way on Saturday with their re-arranged match against Somerton who halted their losing run on Saturday and looked to have returned to form. Albion won the away encounter in September 24-0.
Team: Taylor; Lang Stukes Ball Smith; Frost Coates; Hicks Hobbs Stanley Moulding Worgan Ruddle Norman Walker. Replacements: Used – Pike Unused – Berry.
Tries: Norman (3).
H-T 0-15.
The Dirt-Trackers travelled to Chard with some expectation following an earlier 53-7 victory over the same opponents at College Way. However, they were forced to make several changes from their normal line-up including positional alterations resulting in two forwards having to appear in the centre positions and had lost one of their other key players to club requirements.
However it was Albion who made the brighter start when Lang intercepted Chard’s first attempt to move the ball and make ground. The typical Dirt-Trackers’ forward drive took play near the Chard line but the home stand-off responded with an excellent clearance taking play up to half way. Excellent spoiling by Stanley and Hicks around the base of the scrum kept Chard on the defensive. Hobbs poached a Chard throw-in at the line-out but Albion lost the ball and Chard hacked it 40 metres to safety. The home side were now coming more into the game and were assisted by Albion’s abysmal kicking which gave them plenty of scope to make ground. In the 15th minute Albion conceded an offside penalty but Chard missed the simple kick at goal, but remained deep in Albion territory. Three minutes later their forwards burst down the blind side and their stand-off took over to crash over in the corner for the opening score. Albion kicked the restart out on the full and put themselves immediately under pressure again. Albion’s poor kicking continued, gifting the ball to the opposition. They also lost several line-outs. Taylor was certainly the busier of the two full-backs having to deal with several testing kicks, whereas his opposite number had the luxury of balls straight at him and with plenty of room in which to move. In the 26th minute Frost almost intercepted but just could not hold on to the ball. Albion lost another line-out deep in Chard territory and despite great work by Stanley, Chard were able to clear fully 50 metres. Seven minutes before half-time another poor Albion kick allowed the Chard outsides to break through and they were aided by some poor tackling and crashed over again on the right-hand side. From the kick-off, Chard gained possession and moved the ball left this time, where their winger waltzed through some half-hearted tackles to score a try in the opposite corner to give the home side a 15-0 lead. Just on half time Frost kicked a penalty to the corner, skipper Norman drove but was stopped and a penalty was conceded as the half time whistle blew.
Albion pepped up their game immediately at the start of the second half and introduced more venom, which they had been lacking throughout the first period. Coates made a fine break, but the pass went down. In the 44th minute Albion, now putting pressure on the home side, won a penalty and Norman typically tapped it and crashed through the Chard ranks to reduce the arrears. However Albion compounded this score fatally by failing to clear the kick-off as Chard swarmed to their line and again crashed over to restore their 15 point lead. For the last half an hour of the game, Albion pressed almost continually but the game became scrappy with penalty awards being frequent. In the 50th minute Norman almost scrambled over again. Pike, who had come on as a replacement, missed a golden opportunity to score when he dropped the overlap pass in the corner. Although Chard were assisted by some excellent clearances by their stand-off, Albion generally remained in their territory and on the attack and it was no surprise when in the 66th minute, the forwards drove and Norman was bundled over. He repeated the dose again in the 76th minute, securing an inspirational hat-trick, but whilst he was clearly on top of his game, not many others were and it was almost a lone vigil. Albion pressed again, looking for the equalising or winning score but it would not come.
A disappointing result and performance. Albion’s kickers have clearly been watching too much International rugby football with the ball aimlessly booted to the opposition. Whereas the home side kicked intelligently as Albion’s back three Taylor, Lang, Smith and Pike will confirm, as they all had testing afternoons dealing with balls intelligently kicked away or beyond them or near the touchline, leaving them with little option. A true lesson here.
This result now leaves Albion in something of a quandary with their nearest rivals Wellington II idle, both sides now have three defeats. There are still six matches left and the return match against Wellington on 13 March could now be the key.
Albion return to College Way on Saturday with their re-arranged match against Somerton who halted their losing run on Saturday and looked to have returned to form. Albion won the away encounter in September 24-0.
Team: Taylor; Lang Stukes Ball Smith; Frost Coates; Hicks Hobbs Stanley Moulding Worgan Ruddle Norman Walker. Replacements: Used – Pike Unused – Berry.
Tries: Norman (3).
H-T 0-15.
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