Sparkhall inspires fine Minchinhampton performance (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Sparkhall inspires fine Minchinhampton performance

11:18am Monday 8th February 2010

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Gloucester Div 3.

Minchinhampton 15, Wotton-under-Edge 17.

A HEAVYWEIGHT Wotton outfit showed that they were going to be no pushover as they sped through for two early tries. Yet Minch rallied hard and so nearly pulled off a comeback victory.

After some initial shakiness, the Minch pack became strong in the tight and some good ball came out to the backs from the scrums and line-outs. However, faced with a highly effective rush defence they could make few inroads.

Minch excelled in the loose, with Ryan Pollard and the Wood brothers, Rich and Dan, leading the charge around the flanks.

Having much of the possession, Wotton retained the territorial advantage, but a rare Minch visit to the Wotton goal line was rewarded with a Nick Dill penalty.

In the second half, the intensity grew still further with hard running and fierce tackling from both sides.

Minch were slowly winning the battle, and the pressure was paying off as the breaks came. Pete Varley was held up over the line and Ian French came close to scoring as well.

When the Minch backs had their chance, though, they took it, with Chris Brain finishing off a well-worked try in the corner. Crucially the conversion drifted just inches wide. Minch now had the confidence, and although Wotton scored another to lead 17-8, Minch were taking the game to them. Jon Sparkhall was playing a blinder at scrum half and giving the Wotton players much to think about.

As the tempo increased, there was an air of inevitability about a Minch victory as Tony Richmond took a well-worked backs move to score under the posts.

At two points down and six minutes to go, Minch looked like they might just do it, but a marginally forward pass to Brain when he was in the clear saw Minch’s last chance disappear.

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