Regional Midlands One

Drybrook RFC 21 Newent RFC 19

A LATE converted Drybrook try and a missed Newent conversion gave the hosts bragging rights in Saturday’s tight Forest derby.

The hosts kicked off in brilliant sunlight with their clubhouse at their backs and were soon camped in the Newent 22, forcing a penalty but missing the kick.

The visitors responded at the first scrum, pushing Drybrook off the ball, but home No 8 Mitch Bourne picked up and carried strongly to set up a maul from which the ball was chipped behind the Newent defence only to be knocked on over the line.

From the resulting scrum, Newent No 8 Ben Brown picked up and made good ground before setting up a ruck where the ball was fed to full back Doug Long who found touch near halfway.

Adrian Connelly was then just forced out in the right hand corner before a succession of penalties eventually saw the ball spread wide to the opposite corner where Kyle Towers touched down wide out for a 0-5 lead.

Back came Drybrook but a pass to their winger was forward and the chance went begging. But with a clever play, Harry Appleton then sold a dummy and was over by the posts, Harry Housley converting to give Drybrook a 7-5 lead.

It was short lived however, as Newent won a line-out inside the Drybrook 22, from which hooker Ethan Allen got over in the left corner, Long converting off the far post for 7-12, which was the half-time score.

Early in the second period, the Green Army’s Dylan Leney caught a huge kick inside his 22 and ran it.

Four passes later and the ball was inside the home 22, with a great run by Joe Horner eating up yards, but the final pass going astray.

The hosts worked the ball back upfield and after several plays in the visitors’ 22, Appleton chipped over the defence and Mitch Baldwin won the race to the touchdown, Housley converting for a 14-12 lead.

Newent returned to the Drybrook 22, and in a neatly worked move Long joined the line, opening a gap which the fullback took full advantage of to get the touchdown and then convert his own try (14-19).

There followed a good deal of kicking as each side looked for field position.

But winning a line-out inside their 22, the hosts broke out with some determined running, with the ball finally ending up in Appleton’s hands.

The scrum-half took a line that stretched the remaining defenders and took him out wide to get the crucial try and level the scores, before Housley made the tricky conversion for 21-19.

Newent attacked strongly in reply, and soon won a penalty, with a Drybrook player shown a yellow and then red for a second offence.

But the tricky kick on the Drybrook 10m line 20m in from the touch sailed wide of the posts.

The visitors carried hard from the re-start but as if to sum up an error-strewn afternoon, the ball was knocked forward, before being penalised for taking the scrum down and the ball kicked dead to finish the game.

Elsewhere, Ross also suffered a narrow 22-18 loss at Civil Service in Cheltenham.

Newent have a week off, while Drybrook host Bournville on Saturday and Ross host Minchinhampton.