SEDGLEY PARK           22

NOTTINGHAM              19 

National League Division One  

WHEN the going got tough – which it did as early as the eighth minute, by which time they were 0-12 down – the Tigers got going, and their physical approach unsettled the visitors so much that a home win was always within their reach.

It came at a price, with yellow cards for both Phil Jones and Andy Craig, the former for a high tackle that laid out Nottingham centre Tim Molenaar, the latter for becoming involved in a fracas in which he was adjudged to be the aggressor.

But the mean approach worked with both forwards and backs putting their bodies on the line in the search for a second successive win on home soil.

Straight from the kick–off Sedgley applied pressure and from a lineout following a penalty a series of pick-and-drives took them to within 10 metres of the Nottingham line.

Having sucked the visiting forwards in the ball was spun left to right along the back line, but a loose pass was pounced on by the Green ‘n’ Whites’ fullback Rohan Nirmalendran who, successfully intercepting and collecting the ball at the second attempt raced 85 metres to score between the Tigers’ posts, making the conversion for Tom Barlow a straight forward one to put his side into a 0-7 lead.

Things then got worse before they got better when from the restart Nottingham gained possession and forced a 10-metre lineout on the right where they simply caught and drove the ball over with flanker Neil Corin getting the touchdown to make it 0-12 after just eight minutes.

It was at this point that the Tigers to a man appeared to utter a collective “enough is enough,” turned up the mean meter and began to force their way back into the game.

After turning over ball Phil Jones set off down centre field on a mazy run before offloading in the tackle to Andy Craig who in turn fed centre partner Chris Briers. He used his speed to scamper to the visitors’ posts and Jones obliged with the extras to make it 7-12.

Scrum ball won 30 metres from the Nottingham line was then recycled by Jon Skurr, Craig and Tim Fourie with Jones again spotting a gap and set Briers on his way, this time towards Nottingham’s right before passing inside to stand-in fullback Andy Vilk who went over for his first touchdown as a Tiger after signing on loan from Sale Sharks three games ago. It was now 12-12 after 22 minutes.

Shortly afterwards Jones was yellow-carded for a high challenge that sparked out Molenaar and the visitors had the man advantage. But it was the Tigers who stepped up the pace with a prolonged assault on the Nottingham line.

Call–ball won at a lineout on the Nottingham 22 set the Tigers up for an incessant assault during which they were held up over the visitors’ line twice, while being awarded three penalties in quick succession and all within 15 metres of the Nottingham line.

Eventually the visitors’ continuing infringement around the rucks saw try scorer Corin yellow carded to even things up at 14 men aside. Picking and driving from yet another scrum the ball found Director of Rugby Fourie and from 15 metres he drove to the Nottingham posts with two would-be tacklers on his back to grab his third try in just four starts. Jones, back on the pitch, struck the conversion to put the Tigers in the lead for the first time at 19-12.

Six minutes into time added on Craig was yellow-carded but Barlow missed the resulting penalty and Sedge’s lead remained.

Nottingham began the second half trying to make the most of the extra man but determined Sedgley defence nullified the advantage. Once back to full strength the Tigers began to step up their offence and on 68 minutes Jones kicked a 38-metre penalty to extend the home side’s lead to 22-12 as they went in search of the fourth try and a bonus point.

However, it was Nottingham who scored, their third try coming from a simple catch-and-drive from a five-metre scrum, touched down by hooker Joe Duffey. But with Barlow unable to add the conversion the Tigers still led 22-19 with four minutes to go.

Nottingham went all out for another score and was only denied by further tenacious defence. As an away move broke down Tigers’ Adam Newton kicked the loose ball on and won the race to the try line where he appeared to get a hand to the ball and touch it down, only for referee Mr. Llyr Apgeraint Roberts to conclude that he did not get any downward pressure.

But by then it didn’t matter as the win helped move the Tigers off the foot of the table, where they are replaced by North West rivals, Waterloo who went down 20-49 at home to Newbury. Sedgley now have 13 points, four more than the Merseysiders and just one short of Moseley who currently lie in the safety of fourteenth place. 

SEDGLEY PARK; Vilk, Jope, Briers, Craig, Voortman, P. Jones, Leck, Gazzola (Du Plessis 20), Roddam, Evans, Fourie, Norris, Newton, Ponton, Skurr.Replacements not used: M. Jones, Keys, Bennett, Livesey, J. Albinson, Largan. Tries: Briers (16), Vilk (21) and Fourie (36). Conversions: P. Jones 2. Penalties: P.Jones 1. Yellow cards: P. Jones (25), Craig (39). 

NOTTINGHAM: Nirmalendran, Coles (Meek 67), Dodge, Molenaar (Wilson 25), Jackson, Barlow, Springall, Parr, Duffey, Hopkins (Hall 45), Rouse (Raven 43), Morley, Hammond (Sandhu 57), Corin, Stannard. Replacements (not used): Brewer, Stenhouse. Tries: Nirmalendran (3), Corin (7) and Duffey (72). Conversions: Barlow 2. Yellow cards: Corin (33).