‘Lydney lose derby game.’
Report and Pictures by Roger Pike
Old Centralians 26 Lydney 10
Having already won three of their local derby fixtures Lydney were looking to make it a clean sweep with a forth, away to Old Centralians writes Roger Pike. Lydney welcomed a new signing from Clifton in centre Kieran Griffiths but the small squad is still depleted with numerous long term injuries and Harrison Fowke being the latest casualty. The hosts were really up for revenge and went on to dominate a game playing with passion and helped by some poor Lydney play particularly in the line outs. The hosts were on top from the start, Lydney never got going and were soon twelve points down from which they never really recovered. Playing down the slope early in the second period Lydney were briefly back in the game but some poor options and mistakes soon gifted the hosts further scores which ended the game as a spectacle.
Old Cents came out of the blocks from the kick off and with Lydney playing up the slope were able to keep them penned in their 22 meter area for the opening encounters. The Severnsiders started to concede numerous penalties and just could not get out of their own half, the hosts were having all of the possession. With ten minutes gone the hosts kicked a penalty back to the corner. Winning the line out saw a series of forward drives with Mike Mathers crossing to lead 5 – 0. The momentum continued with the hosts, the Severnsiders had no answer for the sustained attacks and were soon conceding further penalties and back on the 5 meter line. Another forward drive sees the same result with Mathers scoring and Harry Preese kicking the extras for 12 – 0 after just 20 minutes. The hosts still looked the more dangerous and a knock on and a lost line out saw them spurn further good scoring chances. Lydney finally started to put some moves together and had opportunities to get back into the game however the hosts defence held firm. Another attack saw the forwards got a drive going into the 22-meter area which scrum half Tom Broady spun out to the backs and winger Mike Cross scored out wide for 12 – 5. A high tackle saw the hosts down to 14 but Lydney could not take advantage with continued lack of any decent spells of possession and the half ended. This probably was a good result for Lydney at the break with little possession and the benefit of playing down the slope in the second period.
The Severnsiders upped their game at the start of the second period but mistakes in open play and lost line out ball continued to negate any early scoring opportunities. Any recovery did not last long with the hosts forwards back on a good set of drives which soon led to another score converted by Preese which made it 19 – 5 on the hour mark. The hosts continued to dominate and the Severnsiders woes continued with full back Alex Nelmes sent to the bin for obstruction. The hosts kept to their simple game plan using their big forwards who rumbled over again under the posts for an easy Preese conversion to virtually end the contest at 26 – 5.
Lydney did come back into the game in the last ten minutes, but the game was already gone. A good set of forward drives eventually saw Rob White on his fiftieth game for Lydney score for 26 – 10. The Severnsiders did have further opportunities to score again but more mistakes cost them when close to the try line. The game ended 26 – 10, Lydney will need to regroup and get back to winning ways as a tough home game against Ivybridge awaits next week.
Coach Paul Kiely commented ‘A frustrating day, they just wanted it more and we gave a very poor first half performance by our standards. We made far too many errors, and our line out was poor so we just could not get enough possession to put any pressure on or create anything. Importantly we kept going in the second half but again the same errors stopped us getting back into the game. Our young side will learn from this and we will be working hard in training this weeks as a big game back at Regentsholme next week against Ivybridge awaits’
Lydney – Gareth Winter, Rob White, Jack Spencer (c), Mike Massey, Phil Williams, Joe McClean, Liam Downer, Harry Brown, Tom Broady, Jake Hanley, Mike Cross, Henry Sleeman, Kieran Griffiths, Sami Hamid, Alex Nelmes. Replacements James Baylis, Luke Hudson , Mars Slee.
