Stow RFC have their work cut out to beat Slough (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Stow RFC have their work cut out to beat Slough

STOW won this game convincingly enough in the end, although they had their work cut out in the first half before beating Slough 32 points to 18.

With Slough dominating the early exchanges on Saturday, their hosts rarely got out of their own half during the first 15 minutes.

Curiously, it was against the run of play when a decisive scything break by Duncan Smith saw the centre steam in from 40 metres for the opening score.

However, he was unable to convert his own try. The Gloucestershire side, who began to grow in confidence, started to throw the ball about.

But this resulted in the visitors taking the lead when the ball was spilled in a messed-up move on the right flank.

It left Slough with an unopposed run in under the posts, making the conversion a simple affair.

Towards the end of the first half, the Stow forwards began to find their form.

A penalty was kicked to the corner and, from the lineout, a series of drives left prop Dave Abbott at the bottom of the pile to claim the try.

Although the conversion attempt was put wide, Stow held a slender lead of ten points to seven at the break.

The second half saw a much more polished performance by Stow who edged further ahead when the forwards controlled the ball to drive over the try line.

This time the other prop, Josh Harrison, took the honours close to the uprights, leaving Duncan Smith an easy conversion.

After this success, they fell asleep for ten minutes and, while Slough had the upper hand, they could not cross the line and so had to settle for a brace of penalties.

Stow then woke up with the forwards dominating their counterparts. From a rolling maul, that Slough could not cope with, Mat Hicks touched down in the corner. Smith was just wide with the conversion attempt.

Try-scoring prop Harrison was replaced by Ian Beasley who within two minutes had scored a great try after some sterling work by no 8 Craig Chapman.

From the restart, Nathan Graham raced upfield for Will Sare to cut though a now ragged defence before passing to Steve Mahony who had an easy run-in from ten metres.

This time it was Sare who attempted the conversion, but it was wide. On the final whistle, Stow tried to run out from their own line, but a dropped pass gifted Slough the easiest of tries.

This, though was their only consolation. All in all, it was a satisfactory performance by Stow with some good phases and a delighted set of three props each scoring a try.

This Saturday, Stow are set to travel to Olney.

l Right: Stow-on-the-Wold centre Duncan Smith en route to the opening try for his team during Saturday's league match against the visitors from Slough Photo by Terry Parker