SEDGLEY PARK 14
PLYMOUTH ALBION 20

National Division One

LOSING to a penalty try three minutes from time is hard to take; but if the Tigers continue to play in this way the losses will soon become wins.

Up against an Albion side renowned for its reliance upon a tight, forward game, Sedgley could not stop the Plymouth pack legally when it mattered.

It won’t be any consolation, but Albion boss Graham Dawe, the former England hooker, said: “Sedgley Park have a very talented team with some very talented individuals. They are big and physical and we were lucky to come away with a win; in fact we wouldn’t have had any qualms if we had lost.”

However, the Tigers had to make do with yet another losing bonus point against a top eight side, their third in a row, but it certainly isn’t a disaster.

“We’re definitely getting battle hardened,” said backs coach Andy Northey: “We gave everything we had, but I have to say the rugby they play is dismal, boring and negative and I despise it. It is terrible to play against – but it’s effective.

“We made two or three unforced errors that let them into the game at the start of the second half, so we don’t blame anyone outside of our circle for losing; we just got beat in a way that is hard to take.”

While Director of Rugby Tim Fourie added: “We are starting to grow the self-belief necessary to win games, we just have to make sure we use it to win the next two, both away to sides just above us, London Welsh and Moseley.”

A Ross Laidlaw penalty gave Plymouth a 0-3 lead on five minutes as both sides tried to shape their game plan to take into account  the wind and drizzle. The Tigers then built up a head of steam leading to a quick tap penalty which lasted three driving phases before Jon Skurr crashed over for the Sedgley touchdown. Phil Jones goaled it to put the home side 7-3 in front on 23 minutes.

Sedgley continued to have the bulk of the pressure and territory in a tight, opening first half, but a second Laidlaw three-pointer a minute before the interval cut the Tigers’ lead to 7-6.

The visitors continued to press after the restart and forward pressure sent James Owen in for a try on 43 minutes. Laidlaw’s conversion then extended Plymouth’s lead to 7-13.

The Tigers went back in front on 62 minutes when the forwards again drove deep into the Plymouth half where Jamie Albinson fed Adam Newton who crossed for the Tigers’ second try. Jones added the extras to put the home side into a narrow 14-13 lead.

They looked like they would hang on it until three minutes from time when Plymouth’s grinding forward game could not be halted legally and with a sense of inevitability referee Rowan Kitt awarded the visitors a penalty try – harshly in many people’s eyes – before yellow-carding skipper Jimmy Ponton.

The relief on the faces of the Albion players at the final whistle was there for all to see; maybe next time these two meet the smiles will be on the Tigers’ faces.

SEDGLEY PARK: Riley, Payne, Craig, Briers, Hall, Jones, J.Albinson, Gazzola, Roddam, Halsall (Du Plessis 63), Fourie, Norris, Newton (Crous 71), Ponton, Skurr.
Replacements not used: Birchall, Keys, Livesey, Leck and T. Albinson
Tries: Skurr (23) and Newton (62).
Conversions: Jones 2
Yellow cards: Ponton (78)

PLYMOUTH ALBION: E. Lewis, Gibson, Cruickshanks, Davies, Sestaret, Laidlaw, Lewsey, Mathias, Owen (Oxley 71), Barretto, Hayes, Gulliver, Lowrie, Stroud (Kettle 71), Bornman.
Replacements not used: Cane, Neethling, Zimmerman, M. Lewis and Stewart.
Tries: Owen (43) and Penalty (77).
Conversions: Laidlaw 2.
Penalties: Laidlaw 2.