Sat 21 Oct 2023
Alcester 21 Luctonians 2nd XV 26
Alcester shrugged off a disappointing couple of weeks to bounce back with an excellent performance against the joint leaders, earning a losing bonus point for their efforts, against a side who registered their 29th consecutive league victory with this win. But the visitors were made to work hard for the result and at one stage it looked as though a shock may be on the cards before the Herefordshire side moved clear on the scoreboard.
The home side were able to call on a stronger squad than the one that had lost heavily at Ledbury the week before, but it looked like another long afternoon might be on the cards when Luctonians scored under the posts with their first attack of the game to claim a 0-7 lead.
The home side hit back with a sustained period of pressure in the visitors’ half, which eventually culminated in a well worked try for centre, Josh O’Connor which former Luctonians’s player, Ed Gough, converted for Alcester to level the scores.
Luctonians enjoyed their first real period of possession and territory since the start of the game and after half an hour they regained the lead with another well worked score in the corner, which was brilliantly converted from out wide.
Buoyed by this success, the visitors upped a gear in the closing stages of the half and once again fashioned the overlap out wide to cross for their third try, which left the half time score at 7-19.
With the slope at their back in the second half and having made personnel changes at half time, Alcester pushed to try and get back into the game, but they were met with a very quick and disciplined defensive line which was proving hard to pierce.
The home side persevered and when Jack Green crashed over following a move launched after a solid line out, and Gough converted, a comeback definitely looked on with Alcester now firmly on the front foot.
A great break by Lewis Wright, now operating on the flank, created another opportunity, but having isolated the Luctonians left winger with a 2 on 1 opportunity, his pass to Alex Chiles was a little behind the Alcester winger and the chance was lost.
Alcester were not alone in missing chances to add to their score, when the visitors looked likely to increase their lead, but their replacement flanker, under pressure from the home defence, lost control of the ball within inches of the try line.
The home side’s cause was not helped when replacement prop, Kyran Flynn, was yellow carded off the back of a team warning, following what the referee adjudged to be persistent infringement by his side in trying to quell the effective Luctonians driving mauls
With the numerical advantage, the visitors crossed for their bonus point try, following organised and patient play to create the overlap for the score out wide. Another superb conversion left the score at 14-26 approaching the final quarter of an hour.
Josh O’Connor thought he had scored his second try of the game to reduce the deficit, but he was adjudged to have double moved in crossing the line and the chance was lost.
The home side remained in the ascendancy and the visitors were being forced to infringe to keep Alcester out, which resulted in one of their players being yellow carded. That player was only back on the pitch for less than a minute, before another player was sin binned, again for persistent infringement as the closing stages approached.
The Kings Coughton men were able to get another try and secure a losing bonus point, which is the minimum that their performance deserved, when Ed Gough dived in under the posts, after a great break by Jack Green. Gough converted his own try to leave the full-time score at 21-26.
Prop Will Mitchell was nominated as man of the match, whilst full back Dwayne Cruikshank was another that stood out. Wing, Ollie Hopkins, played his last game for the club, before moving away with work.
Alcester have a break from league action on Saturday 28th October, before they play Droitwich on 4th November.
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In midweek, Alcester were made aware of the outcome of the hearing into the abandoned game on 30th September against Old Coventrians.
Alcester were leading the game 25-8, and set for a bonus point victory after tries from Josh O’Connor, Ollie Hopkins, Christian Rushton, Lewis Wright and Will Silk, when the game was abandoned by the referee with a few minutes remaining following an earlier bout of “handbags” and then what the official adjudged to have been persistent high tackle infringements.
The outcome of the hearing was that the result of the game stood and therefore Alcester won the game, but they were docked 3 points and Old Coventrians docked 2, for their part in the incidents.
