Apologies to one and all for the recent absence of match reporting from yours truly. It has been three weeks since my last epic tale but the void can be easily explained - regrettably I missed the close match against Bury (which was played on our 1st team pitch) as I was keeping our economy ticking over from behind my desk in the office and last week, the scheduled match against Aldwinians was abandoned as our opponents had been booted from the league. Anyway, that's enough of the excuses and incoherent babbling - on to the report!

A veritable army of Sedgley players turned out on Saturday for both the 3rd and 4th XV teams meaning that both were able to field a full XV and even had the capacity for several replacements - a feat almost unheard of over the recent months and testament to the effort being expended by DOR's Mark Knight and Reg Evans and of course Director of Elite Rugby, Steve Harrison... The 4th XV welcomed back Jonny Allen, returning from a stint with local rivals Bury and were additionally bolstered by the return of Adam Lewis. Also donning their boots for the game were Danny Stefanuto (who was to control the field in the No. 9 shirt) and Steve Mortimer. Additionally, the Tigers welcomed a number of players who had yet to play for the team but who's contribution was gratefully noted (even if their names weren't - apologies to them but you know who you are and thank you!).

And so it was that a host of faces, both old and new, prepared to pull on the revered fourth team colours and left Park Lane on route to Eccles for a mid-table clash with their 3rd XV, a team who have had similar fortune in their fixtures as ourselves. Arriving in plenty of time became a blessing as for once, we had the welcome predicament of having to choose a starting XV and choosing who would begin on the bench. The aforementioned DOR Mark Knight sacrificed his position on the field to allow Rob Harrison (son of Steve) to join the pack. Please rest assured this was not a nepotistic decision and Rob certainly showed his worth (and his lunch...) on the field of battle.

A quick warm up followed and the pack came together to practice scrummaging and line outs, two areas of the game that have been somewhat ineffectual of late. Whilst the scrummage seemed to work well, any dreams of securing any good line out ball we put to rest by a wind that would have put the roaring forties to shame. No sooner had the ball left the hands of hooker (and captain marvel) Jason Routh, the wind would whip it away from the line and any chance of good ball was negated.

Nevertheless, we headed into the match optimistic and from the first kick off looked to make our presence felt on the pitch. Within fifteen minutes, we'd certainly made an impact and the score line read 14-0 to the Tigers with two tries under our belt (one scored by after a breaking run from Danny Stefanuto) and the safe boot of Tony Jones landing the conversions. However, this fortune soon turned to adversity as with the wind in their favour, Eccles began to make use of their fly half's boot and pinned the boys in their own 22. The pressure from the Eccles forwards was consistently defended and for some time, it looked like they wouldn't break through the barricade. However, fatigue began to show and cracks began to appear in the lines leaving Eccles to run in two tries and the score stood at 14-14.

The whistle for half time blew and offered the Tigers a moment of respite to contemplate the next 40mins. The wind was now behind our backs making it easier for us to gain ground off the boot and we spent a good deal of the second half encamped within the Eccles half of the pitch. A breaking run from returning Tiger Jonny Allen nearly resulted in another score but was foiled by a push into touch. However, this was not before showing some fancy footwork as he tiptoed, pirouetted and made a balletic spectacle of himself on the touchline. If he ever tires of a life egg chasing, there's surely a career with the Royal Ballet Company - He's always looked like he would enjoy wearing tights but Swan Lake would never be the same....

The Eccles team fought hard and regained possession, kicking back into the Tigers half and following a minor handling error, the pack set up for a big scrum to reclaim control of the game - well, most of the pack. It was at this juncture that Rob Harrison decided he would empty his stomach contents onto the pitch, throwing up gracefully, and loudly, a number of times before proceeding to continue with the game. And he continued well, collecting the ball on the halfway line and sprinting the remaining yards to score in the corner, the conversion was a close miss.

Then came the brutal twist in the match - the Eccles forwards broke through the Tigers line and headed to score. The Sedgley full back, Rob, made what was known to every man and his dog in the vicinity as a try saving tackle, holding up the runner over the line and preventing the ball from being grounded. This was apparent to everyone except the referee who cheerily awarded the try and didn't think twice! Their conversion was also missed. The Tigers dug deep and fought hard, a fight which was awarded with a penalty 40 yards out that was superbly taken by Tony Jones, neatly slotting the ball between the uprights. Eccles had another chance to equalise with a penalty of their own but the pressure must have proven too much for their fly half as he pulled the kick wide of the sticks and the game finished 22-19 to the Tigers!

And so draws to a close this latest report. Having lost resoundingly against Congleton some weeks ago in the Halbro Plate, the 4th XV have no competitive game lined up for next week although the abovementioned DOR's are discussing the possibility of a friendly fixture. The next league match will see the Tigers at home against Ashton Under Lyne 2 on the 24th November. I for one am hoping we can field as strong a contingent of players as we have done this week.