‘Superb Lydney get away win in Sidmouth.
Report and Pictures by Roger Pike
Sidmouth 15 Lydney 16
Lydney travelled down to Devon for a tricky looking match against Sidmouth where the Heydon’s Lane ground has not proved a happy hunting ground in recent seasons writes Roger Pike. With numerous players unavailable or injured Sam Arnott moved Pat Hanslow into the second row with Zak Williams starting in the back row. The replacements were Alfie Searls, Wilf Doyle-Finch, and Aaron Esiri. Eighteen-year-old James Lane started at prop after an impressive performance last week, Danny Hodge continued as Captain for the injured Ben Large. Whilst the hosts dominated possession throughout Lydney looked the more likely to score every time they had the ball. The visitors tried to play a fast game and move the big Sidmouth pack around but with the pitch a complete mud bath it tended to nullify the Lydney tactics. Huge possession stats in Sidmouth favour were to mean nothing, and it was Lydney who managed the game with a superb defensive display to get the deserved win with a penalty kick in injury time from the excellent Tom Rowe wide out on the 22m line.
The hosts rallied by a large crowd dominated the opening encounters, but it was the visitors with their first attack who opened the scoring after just three minutes. The backs created a great move with passes from Hamlin and Price found Nelmes entering the line, Dunn had come across from the other wing to make the extra man, spun a pass to Rowe who crossed in the corner 0 – 5. The hosts responded strongly but a turnover saw Charlie Beddis hoist a towering kick which Dunn was so unlucky not to collect for a run in. Lydney were disrupted when Broady departed injured and moved Nelmes to scrum half however he was able to return after ten minutes with the score unchanged. Lydney then suffered a yellow for a high tackle when Hamlin was dismissed even though he was not the guilty party. Despite all their possession the hosts offered little in attack, with a penalty won they then opted to kick which went wide. Sidmouth continued to dominate but Lydney still looked the more likely to score, both Dunn and Rowe came close to crossing the whitewash. Rowe was unlucky to have a try disallowed from a tackle infringement. A superb Lydney defensive display was to prove vital, and the turnover king Kyle Frowen proved pivotal, backed up by Dunn, Hanslow, Heaven and Williams with quick breakdown entry they won numerous turnovers. Another turnover by Frowen got Lydney a penalty which Beddis did well to knock over from close to halfway in very heavy conditions for 0 – 8. Despite dominating Sidmouth’s only reward was a penalty from Louis Tose deep in injury time to end the half 3 – 8.
With heavy rain now falling, playing up the slope Lydney started the second period strongly with Harvey Heaven winning good lineout ball to set up some attacks. A penalty again won by Frowen won Lydney a lineout 10m out, a catch and drive was stopped on the line but a quick recycle from Broady found the industrious Zak Willims who scored in the corner 3 – 13. The hosts then dominated again with numerous opportunities to score but solid defence kept them out with a superb performance from Hamlin and Price in midfield. Lydney emptied their bench, Doyle-Finch added some more pace to the breakdown with Hanslow, Bonia, and the impressive Knox making a vast number of tackles. However, it was a forward drive from the hosts that eventually crossed for a try, Tose added the conversion for 10 – 13. Sidmouth spurred on by the score dominated the final quarter and Nathan Tompkins scored to give them the lead with 5 minutes left 15 – 13. The visitors never gave up in the horrible conditions and created another attack which won a penalty deep into injury time, Captain Hodge opted for the difficult kick and the ice man Tom Rowe stepped up to knock it over and a deserved win 15 – 16.
Coach Paul Morris commented ‘I thought we deserved the win; the heavy conditions suited them rather than us but in open play we created some great chances and should have scored more. Today was a superb defensive display and showed the real character of the squad with all eighteen players working extremely hard to ensure a superb away win. Next week we are back are Devon against second in the table Topsham, so we go their full of confidence.’
Lydney – James Lane, Jack Knox, James Bonia, Danny Hodge©, Pat Hanslow, Harvey Heaven, Kyle Frowen, Zak Williams, Tom Broady, Charlie Beddis, Tom Rowe, Joe Hamlin, Danny Price, Brad Dunn, Alex Nelmes. Replacements, Alfie Searls, Wilf Doyle-Finch, Aaron Esiri.
