Rugby - Cirencester v Minety (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Rugby - Cirencester v Minety

Semi-final of the Stroud and District Intermediate Cup Adam Litowchyk Memorial Trophy Minety 13pts - Cirencester 20pts

Despite strenuous second-half efforts from Minety, Cirencester held onto an early lead to secure a place in this year's final of the Stroud and District Intermediate Cup. It was Ciren's backs who did the damage, running in three first-half tries and thereby ensuring that their team retained its grip on the Adam Litowchyk Memorial Trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual fixture between these two clubs.

First into their stride, Cirencester made good use of their well-drilled back line to establish an early lead. Latching on to a chip ahead, fullback Shane Marriott was the first to score, touching down under the posts before the game was more than a few minutes old.

Five minutes later, Ciren scored again, moving the ball slickly from one side of the field to the other to create the overlap which allowed inside centre Andy Ramsey to score in the left-hand corner. Having missed his first, and apparently easy, conversion attempt, centre Adam Seager then slotted this much more difficult one with impressive accuracy.

Twelve points adrift in as many minutes, Minety fought their way back into the game and were rewarded after quarter of an hour with a well-struck penalty goal from centre James Tweedale.

Pressing hard from the restart, Ciren then penned their hosts back into their own 22. A scrummage to Minety seemed to offer a chance for the home team to relieve their lines, but although the ball was heeled back securely, the subsequent clearance kick was charged down and Seager pounced on the ball to score his team's third try.

Already down three points to 17, Minety finally got into gear, forcing a penalty on their opponents' 22 which flyhalf Tim Vaughan duly kicked into touch for a lineout five metres out from the visitors' try line. James Smith took a clean catch from the throw in, the ball was smuggled to flanker Dave Miller, and then the Minety forward machine ground into action, bulldozing the defenders back towards their own line. Miller then broke from the main body of the maul, crashing over for a try with three defenders hanging off him. Tweedale added the conversion, and the sides turned round with the score at 10-17.

Cirencester opened the second half with a penalty goal from Seager, but after that, the sterling efforts of the Minety pack ensured that the home team enjoyed the lion's share of both territory and possession for the rest of the game.

Minety's backs ran hard and tackled tigerishly, but they lacked their opponents' composure with the ball in hand, and chances went begging as vital passes were dropped. Their forwards, too, were bedevilled by the poor finishing which has been a frustrating feature of Minety's play in recent matches. Dominating in the lineouts and enjoying the upper hand in both scrums and loose play, the Minety pack on one occasion authoritatively drove their opponents back over their own line, only to lose possession at the last moment and see Cirencester ground the ball for a 22 metre drop out.

Another penalty goal from Tweedale narrowed the gap between the two teams, but although Minety continued to press, the visitors managed to hold out and the final whistle sounded with the home side still seven points adrift.

This Saturday, Minety travel down to Somerset to play a friendly against Southern Counties opponents Frome.