19/01/08

Bishop’s Castle 6 Burntwood 9
Midlands 4 West North

Burntwood moved up another place in the table after their 7th win in their last 8 league outings. It was their first win in 3 trips to deepest Shropshire although this tryless contest will not live long in the memory.
Both sides find points’ scoring difficult, particularly the hosts who are yet to reach 3 figures after 14 games, and on a small, uneven pitch defences were on top throughout.
The first half was practically a non-event. Burntwood looked threatening from the kick off but a promising move with Matt Bray in the back line from full back ended in a scrum which the home side cleared to halfway.
A penalty attempt by Craig Seedhouse after 20 minutes went just wide but the attempt to field the ball was knocked on to present Burntwood with a scrum 5. The ball was moved to centre Rob England, normally a real danger from this position, but he was stopped in his tracks by a thumping tackle by his opposite number.
There was little to excite the spectators for the rest of the half but both open side flankers got themselves worked up enough in an off the ball skirmish which saw them sent to the sin bin right on the half time whistle.

With the score at 0-0 there was a distinct possibility that the game would be a repeat of the last game between the two sides at Bishop’s Castle 2 seasons ago which ended scoreless.
That was still a possibility when Seedhouse missed a penalty kick in the first minute of the second period after a good run by Bray had brought the hosts offside.
However, just 4 minutes later he made amends following a good attack by the visitors. They moved the ball well down the backs and again the home side were caught offside. This time Seedhouse made no mistake.
The lead only lasted 3 minutes. Sam Wanty made an excellent tackle out on the wing but his side were penalised at the ruck and the home kicker levelled with a penalty.
A charged down kick almost cost the visitors a try and then when they were given a kickable penalty the attempt was pulled wide.
Just after the hour mark, Burntwood finally sprang into action. They had the hosts in trouble at a scrum and then England made good ground into opposition territory. All the home back division came up offside and Seedhouse landed the easy penalty.
This time the lead only lasted 2 minutes with the home kicker equalising with his second penalty goal.
As play went into the last 10 minutes Seedhouse scuffed a drop goal attempt and it was difficult to see how the deadlock would be broken. Then in the 79th minute, Seedhouse’s kick downfield was pursued by Lloyd Shelley to catch the home full back in possession. Burntwood won a scrum 5 from which England and Mark Partridge both went close but they did enough to win a penalty. Seedhouse kept his nerve to split the uprights for the winning points.
Graham Shelley’s men had 5 minutes of stoppage time to see out and they did just enough to their great relief.
 

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Burntwood 2nds also enjoyed success when they defeated Walsall 3rds 13-10 at home. It was the 3rd time the sides had met in 3 months with Walsall finishing narrow winners on the two previous occasions.
Rob Bowdley almost put Andy Macey’s side ahead in the first few minutes but the ball was lost close to the line. It was the visitors who drew first blood with a penalty after 10 minutes.
This only served to inspire the home side who camped in Walsall territory for the next 20 minutes but their meagre reward was a penalty by Eddie Saunders.
Then completely against the run of play, a big tackle in midfield turned the ball over and a Walsall centre ran in under the posts for a converted try.
Sam Corbett went close for Burntwood but was just held up. However, his side won the ball against the head at the ensuing scrum and Saunders went over for a try which he also converted. Saunders then kicked a penalty when a Walsall lock was guilty of punching Ash Stanton, the latter having to leave the field.

The second period was more evenly contested, mainly in midfield, and the score remained unchanged thanks in particular to the home back row of Simon Edwards, Brad Evans and top performer Dave Peplow who thwarted Walsall at every turn.