Pershore in third after narrow win (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Pershore in third after narrow win

10:40am Sunday 13th January 2013 in Sport

PERSHORE Rugby Club boosted their Midlands Three West (South) top-two hopes by damaging Old Leamingtonians’ title charge.

With their Wyre Piddle base suffering from the wet weather, Kidderminster Carolians’ ground hosted the 19-17 success.

The Vale side completed the double over their second-placed opponents having triumphed 22- 17 in September but Leamingtonians made a strong start.

Following a strong tackle, prop Karl Evans was deemed to have prevented the attackers from recycling the ball and the number eight scored an unconverted try in the corner.

But Pershore hit back when a penalty was kicked to the corner and the pack marched over the line for Martin Hope to score an effort converted by Scott Williams.

The hosts defended well but infringements crept into their game and they ended the period with only 13 players after second rows Toby Grace and Luke Hardiman were sin-binned.

Pershore’s scrum dominated but the extra men took advantage with a converted try just before half-time to give Leamingtonians a 12-7 half-time lead.

Alex Peel was prominent in the loose and the back-line, marshalled by fly-half Tommy Hayes, enjoyed more possession as Pershore improved in the second- half.

Through a well-worked sequence of phases between forwards and backs, skipper Andy Jenkinson levelled with an unconverted try on the wing.

But, with 10 minutes left, a mix-up was capitalised on by Leamingtonians who raced over the whitewash to score an unconverted effort.

Pershore forced a series of close-range scrums and Hope looked to have touched down but knocked on during the grounding. However, they turned the ball over and won the putin for the game’s final scrum.

They again marched their opponents over the line but, as Hope dotted down, the referee lost patience with the visitors’ infringements and awarded a penalty try under the posts.

It was converted by Williams to give third-placed Pershore an unlikely 19-17 victory.