THREE wins on the trot for the first time in a long time, coupled with a defeat for Otley sees the Tigers move up another place in the ND1 table.

Match report follows.

SEDGLEY PARK           37

WATERLOO                 18 

National League Division One

DERBY delight after a hard-fought victory over Lancashire rivals Waterloo turned into near delirium after this third win on the bounce moved the Tigers up another place in the ND1 table to the heady heights of 12^th spot.

With Leeds winning their Yorkshire derby with Otley Christmas really did come a couple of days early as the Tigers now look down upon the Cross Green side, London Welsh, Moseley and Waterloo – nine points off the relegation places and only six points short of Newbury above them in 11^th. But it was not easy.

’Loo are nothing if not tenacious and certainly in the first half made things difficult for Sedgley, while in the second half they continued to push the home side until the final whistle was blown.

With Andy Vilk recalled by Sale Sharks, another impressive back on loan from the Edgeley Park club, Matt Riley, moved in from the wing to fill the fullback berth, which meant that once again ‘Fijian Joe,’ Ledua Jope, ostensibly a back row forward, showed his adaptability and athleticism by moving out to the wing, with Andy Craig on the other flank.

As early as the second minute Canadian Ander Munro, on loan to the Blundellsands club from Magners’ League side Edinburgh Gunners, had a chance to give the visitors an early lead but was off target with his 41-metre penalty attempt.

Five minutes later his opposite number Phil Jones showed him how to do it from 35-metres to give the Tigers an early lead until Munro was on the money with his second three-point attempt to make things all square at 3-3 after 18 minutes.

An expansive period of play from the Tigers then forced ’Loo to bring it to an end illegally and Jones kicked a second penalty to restore Sedgley’s lead. A few minutes later the Tigers stole lineout ball just inside the ’Loo half and changed the point of attack speedily, but Riley, joining the Sedgley backline at pace, could not get his pass out and the move broke down.

Waterloo were typically physical in the forwards and quick to get to the breakdown, frustrating Sedgley’s ambitions for most of the half, drawing unforced errors out of them in the process and using prop Martin O'Keefe and Number 8 Rory McKay as effective ball carriers.

An interception almost produced a try but they then drew level courtesy of Munro’s boot with seven minutes of the half remaining. Just when it looked like being equal at the break, Sedgley fashioned the first try of the game three minutes later.

As Director of Rugby Tim Fourie drove the ball into contact referee Nick Williams saw an infringement and signaled advantage for the Tigers. There was good interpasssing between Jones and Andy Craig, and the former Scotland international drew the Waterloo defenders before offloading to Jamie Albinson, whose reverse pass was pounced on by prop Martin Halsall, who got his pace and angle of attack just right to gallop over the ’Loo line from 15 metres. Jones added the two-pointer and the home side led 13-6. Unfortunately just as they were beginning to build up a head of steam the half-time whistle blew.

Loo’ put the Sedgley line under intense pressure after the restart, keeping the ball alive well and stretching the home defence. It paid off in the 53^rd minute when, following a couple of penalties, they forced the ball out to the right and skipper Freeman Payne joined the attack on the angle to go over to the right of the posts giving Munro a straight forward conversion and all of a sudden it was all square at 13-13.

But just like the previous week at Pertemps Bees, Sedgley never looked liked losing this one and Jones’ third penalty of the afternoon restored his side’s lead before he began to try a few things.

Where ’Loo would unload in the tackle and head for one flank before switching direction, Sedgley would pick-and-go for a number of phases before Jones either launched a huge miss-pass or kicked diagonally across field.

’Loo’s re-start kick went straight into touch and following the resulting scrum on half-way Sedgley were awarded a free kick, with Jon Skurr tapping and going before offloading to Jones. His looping pass out to Jamie Albinson out on the right touch line gave the scrum-half just enough of a start to outpace the ’Loo cover and he won the race to the visitors’ posts, giving Jones the easiest of conversions to make 23-13.

With the momentum in their favour Sedgley continued to turn the screw. Following the restart Loo were awarded a scrum, and with possession gained they proceeded to throw the ball left to right, but Albinson intercepted preventing an almost certain Waterloo try before this time haring down the left touchline before slipping the ball inside to centre Chris Briers who galloped in to score try number three, again goaled by Jones and all of a sudden the Tigers were leading 30-13.

But ’Loo refused to give in. They tapped and ran a penalty, stretching the Sedgley defence with American scrum-half Chad Irskine popping up on the left as the extra man to go over for his side’s second try to reduce the arrears to 12 points.

Following another rolling maul and a series of pick-an-drives Jones launched another diagonal cross-field kick but it came to nothing. However, four minutes into time-added-on, Sedgley stole possession at a lineout and moved the ball out left where, following a kick and chase to the corner, Skurr claimed his seventh try of the season with Jones rounding the scoring off as the Tigers finished strongly. 

SEDGLEY PARK: Riley, Jope, Briers, Voortman, Craig, Jones, J. Albinson, Evans (Du Plessis 65), Roddam (Keys 75), Halsall (Roberts 70), Fourie, Norris, Newton, Ponton, Skurr. Replacements not used: Senior, Livesey, Duffy, T. Albinson. Tries: Halsall (33), J. Albinson (48), Briers (61) and Skurr (84). Conversions: Jones 4. Penalties: Jones 3. 

WATERLOO: Murchie, Broxson, Payne, Sliczny (Davies 74), Hunter, Munro, Erskine, O’Keefe, Tyms (Ince 56), Prescott, Tchakorte, Townsend (Brandling-Harris 34), Cross (Smith 63), Palmer, McKay. Replacements: Hopgood, Handley, Nutt. Tries: Payne (52) and Irskine (73). Conversions: Munro 1. Penalties: Munro 2.