Droitwich 2nd XV 0 - Redditch 1st XV 29

Saturday 19th February 2005

Droitwich 2nd Team took on their local rivals’ 1st team with a weakened side due to the injury crisis currently affecting the Droitwich 1st XV.

With the Droitwich 3rd team full back, Kevin Priddey, and second row, Paul Littleford, deputizing in the Droitwich 2nd XV front row, uncontested scrums were called from the start of the game onwards. The Spa side were also welcoming back flanker Tony Feek from semi-retirement.

Droitwich started brightly putting their first team opposition under some sustained pressure. However, the greater quality and organization of the Redditch side soon prevailed, with the away side scoring an unanswered 22 points in the first half.

The dominance of the Redditch XV continued in the second period, and manifested itself in another converted try. Droitwich then seemed to reawake and enjoyed some pressure of their own in the closing stages of the game. Droitwich 2nds tried in vain to cross the Redditch try line, but to no avail. Their cause was not helped by the controversial sin binning of skipper Craig Goode for what the referee described as a professional foul. Despite this, the captain returned and seemed to rally his troops for the last few minutes of the match, with the Spa side finishing the more positive of the two teams.

The fixture is a useful platform for Droitwich 2nds, who have what could prove to be both a hectic and vital run of Merit Table matches in the weeks ahead. Although the negatives outweighed the positives, some comfort can be taken from the good form of Kevin Smith and the fact that this ‘thrown together’ team competed admirably against first team opposition.

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