Fri 21 Jan 2022, 19:00
Redditch took an A team to Dudley Kingswinford on Friday night for a rare match under lights. It was an opportunity for fringe players and second teamers to step and show what they could do against a well drilled, large squad, and to a man they did.
In an entertaining and very hard fought game R looked as if they were in for a long evening when the DK back line made space easily and ran in a simple try which was converted. It looked ominous, but R picked things up and applied themselves perfectly, tackling low, spoiling attacks and putting the home side under a lot of pressure. Scrum half Will Heath was instrumental in pushing his pack forward, tackling hard himself and with some pin point kicking gave his side some territory to work in.
Pressure on DK resulted in a dropped pass, Jon Beale reacted quickest, kicked through and gathered the bouncing ball to score. Following a scrappy period of play on the DK line Will Baillon managed to get over the line for their second try converted by Heath to go into the break 7-12 in the lead, a position that looked very unlikely half an hour earlier.
However, putting ones body on the line for your team can have it's consequences and battered kingfishers were feeling the pace, conversely the home side were able to replace their players with fresh ones which ultimately made the difference.
Within minutes of the restart R stretched their lead further, Baillon made one of his trademark jinking pin ball runs and managed to lay off the ball to supporting Matt Allen who went under the posts making it easier for WH to convert.
Slowly but surely the tide turned, R were struggling when men out of position and dwindling resources , DK began to find the gaps more easily and over the next quarter of the game ran in two more tries to leave the game delicately poised at 19-19 going into the closing stages. The deadlock was broken with five minutes remaining and although they desperately tried to claw the game back R were a spent force.
It was an impressive performance by a determined R side who nearly pulled off a memorable win, but individual performances will have given the selection committee a few headaches ahead of the next league game at Greyhounds, Hereford on Sat 29th
Craig Martin goes up as the props strain under the weight.
But the job is done....
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