Minety defeat Cirencester to lift Litowchyck Trophy (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Minety defeat Cirencester to lift Litowchyck Trophy

ANOTHER strong performance from the Minety pack helped ensure that the annually awarded Adam Litowchyck Memorial Trophy returned to Wiltshire on Saturday.

Holders Cirencester put up a feisty resistance, but although they showed flashes of inspiration they were unable to make any lasting headway against a rock solid home defence.

The opening phase of the game showed that these were two well-matched sides.

But the strength of the Minety pack gradually began to tilt things in the home team's favour as they established supremacy in set scrums and mauls.

When, some 20 minutes into the game, Minety were awarded a lineout five metres from the visitors' line, they had no hesitation in setting up a catch-and-drive.

Having taken clean ball, they rolled their opponents steadily back until prop Stacey Skinner was able to touch the ball down for what was to prove the only try of the game.

Ten minutes later, Minety replicated the move, but although they once again drove their opponents' back over their own line and grounded the ball, an unsighted referee refused to award a try.

In the second half, both teams had a player sin-binned, but the game still remained a stop-start affair.

Minety enjoyed the lion's share of both possession and territorial advantage while excellent tackling by No 8 Paul Harrington and flanker Mark Holdsworth helped ensure that Cirencester got nowhere when they attempted to run with the ball.

Although he missed with a kick early in the half, fly-half James Tweedale eventually sewed things up for the home team with a well-struck penalty goal ten minutes from time for an 8-0 victory.