Bletchley pose no serious threat to Stow RFC (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Bletchley pose no serious threat to Stow RFC

STOW RFC returned to the winning trail on Saturday by picking up the points against Bletchley in a home league match they never looked like losing.

In fact, it was mainly due to Stow mistakes and bad decision making that the match ended as close as it did.

From the start, it was the hosts who took control with the forwards making ground with a series of pick-ups and drives.

The first score came from a Mark Ingham strike against the head, the ball going blind for Steve Mahony to race into the corner. But the conversion was missed.

The visitors had two missed penalty chances before a failed Stow clearance landed in the Bletchley winger's hands for a fairly straightforward run-in. The extra points were missed.

Stow re-took the lead with the forwards again making inroads into the opposition's defence. Quick ball went blind for Steve Mahony to score his second and also unconverted try.

Soon after, the Gloucester-shire side extended their lead. After a lineout was secured and driven over the line, a penalty try was awarded when the visitors tried to pull down the maul.

It left Nathan Graham an easy conversion and, at the break, Stow were leading 17-5.

Following the turn-round, Stow started from where they had left off by immediately taking control.

After Harold Smith made a telling break through the centre, the forwards took the ball upfield with Craig Chapman getting close to the try line.

When Chapman was held, he off-loaded to Steve Mahony who touched down in the corner for his third. With no recognised kicker, the conversion was short.

But the visitors came back into the game with their best spell. From a lineout five metres out, Stow held the drive, but the scrum-half just managed to touch down on the line in the corner. The Bletchley kicker failed to add the points.

The local side hit back immediately when, from a five-metre scrum, Craig Chapman crashed over for Stow's last score.

Even so, following a series of penalties, Bletchley had the last word when driving over a close- range lineout. However, by then, Stow were well out of sight in a 27-15 victory.

This Saturday, Stow travel to play local rivals Witney.