‘Lydney win absolute thriller’.
Report and Pictures by Roger Pike
Lydney 34 Ivybridge 32
A large crowd turned out a Regentsholme on a scorching afternoon hoping the Severnsiders could start their home campaign with a win writes Roger Pike. An experienced Ivybridge side were always going to be a big test for the new look Severnsiders, but it was the hosts with their last kick of the game secured the win. With a large injury list Lydney had little options as regards selection changes, both Mike Massey and Mike Cross adding to the list saw Luke Hudson starting in the pack with Mitch Needham returning on the wing, Conal Mills came in on the bench.
The Lydney nemesis of conceding numerous points at the start continued and were 22 points down without reply. The Severnsiders started the stronger and were camped in the Ivybridge half, but numerous errors cost them any scoring opportunities. Pouncing on another Lydney error the visitors win a penalty which Sam Brown knocked over for 0 -3. The visitors then had a period of pressure with Lydney still making errors that gifted two tries for Adam Northcolt and Charlie Teague, Brown adding the extras the hosts were 0 -17 after just 20 minutes. The Severnsiders continued to make errors which stopped any moves they created; another lost ball saw Teague score again for 0 -22. Lydney then did get some possession going towards the break but did not look like scoring. Winning a penalty Joe Hamlin knocked over the kick for 3 – 22 at halftime.
The halftime team talk clearly had the hosts fired up and they were a different side. With the visitors getting a yellow card Lydney took full advantage, taking a quick tap Riley Scriven caught the visitors napping and scored under the posts, Hamlin added the extras for 10 -22. The lineout was now going well for the hosts with Zak Williams and Lewis Locke winning good attacking ball. Lydney were now dominate and a super move downfield with Alex Nelmes and Henry Sleeman combining was stopped just short but a deft offload to Scriven gave him an easy touch down under the posts, Hamlin again added the extras for 17 -22 and the game was really on. Another Lydney break from Needham was passed inside to the powerful Daniel Cooper who was stopped short of the line but with Henry Sleeman on hand to collect and power over it tied the match at 22 – 22. The experienced Ivybridge side regained some composure winning a penalty which Brown kicked followed by a converted try and the score of 22 – 32 now looked beyond Lydney with just minutes left. The try of the day then followed form prop Rowan Mullis, collecting the ball in midfield with not much on he noticed no full back and put in a deft kick over the defence, collecting the ball he powered into the 22m and was just too strong for the defence to score for 27 -32. Ivybridge started to panic gifting some penalties that gave the hosts numerous good field position. The Lydney side never give up and a supreme effort from backs and forwards got them back on the 5m line, with the ball out to Henry Sleeman who the defence could just not handle all afternoon he powered over to tie the scores. With a kick on the angle Joe Hamlin stepped up and the iceman did not disappoint to get their first win of the season 34 -32.
Captain Ben Large post-match said, ‘We need to sort ourselves out starting the game we cannot just gift points. Most of their points came from our errors which we must fix, however really pleased at the superb effort from the boys in response, we stuck at it to grind out our first win’.
Director of Rugby Sam Arnott commented ‘A shocking opening 20 minutes again, some real sloppy play that’s just giving sides easy points. We knew at the break if we could fix the errors then we were still in the game and so it proved but we made it much harder that it should have been. Next week we have a long trip into Cornwall to play Launceston who are always difficult to beat on their own patch, but we will go there with plenty of confidence after today.’
Lydney – Rowan Mullis, Daniel Cooper, Gareth Winter, Lewis Locke, Zak Williams, Luke Hudson, Kyle Frowen, Riley Scriven, Mason Cunliffe, Joe Hamlin, Mitch Needham, Kieran Griffiths, Ben Large (C), Henry Sleeman, Alex Nelmes. Replacements James Bayliss, Harry Brown, Conal Mills
