Match Report courtesy of Martin Easton....

KC’s 23 Wolverhampton 22

On a miserable wet afternoon KC’s and Wolverhampton lit up the gloom with a terrific game of rugby between two very evenly matched sides which was decided in dramatic fashion by the very last kick of the match.

After four minutes Wolves were penalised for not releasing at the tackle and scrumhalf Freddie Morgan knocked over the penalty from thirty metres via a deflection off the right hand post.Two minutes later the visitors had three points on offer but,arriving at Marlpool Lane with a one hundred percent record, they were clearly confident in their ability to run in tries and turned down a simple kick at goal which would have levelled the scores.Kidder made the most of the unexpected let off with a spell of enterprising rugby ,showing great handling skills despite the difficult conditions,but Wolverhampton responded in kind and from a lineout on halfway they put together some menacing phases of their own before winning another penalty smack in front of the posts which resulted in a yellow card for prop Matt Rigsby and this time they took the pragmatic option of kicking for goal. Centre Ben Barnes made no mistake to tie things up at 3-3 with fifteen minutes played and with Kidder a man short it was no surprise that the visitors began to dominate proceedings.

KC’s front row was penalised twice in quick succession and on the second occasion the penalty was kicked to touch.At the five metre throw Kidder managed to wrestle back possession but the clearance kick was run back at them and Wolves’ No 10 Alex Jeavons looked certain to score until the ball went forward.Then after fullback Andy McLellan found himself isolated and was penalised for throwing the ball into touch the visitors pounded away at KC’s line but tremendous defence kept them out and it seemed that Kidder might survive the battering and get through to halftime unscathed.However,seven minutes before the break a Wolves lineout on KC’s 22 set up a ruck at which they appeared to knock on but play continued and the ball was worked infield to Jeavons who touched down for the opening try of the afternoon and Barnes converted for a deserved 10-3 interval lead.

At the start of the second half Wolverhampton continued to see plenty of the ball and after ten minutes a quickly taken penalty saw them move the ball smartly to their right wing Alex Bird who raced away from his own 22 for a fine opportunistic try.Just three minutes later from another penalty conceded by KC’s the visitors again created space out wide and Jeavons crossed at the right corner for his second touchdown which was well converted by Barnes.

Trailing 22-3,the match looked beyond Kidder but they were given a glimmer of hope when left wing Laurence Hughes put replacement fullback Mark Wratten away for his second senior try which cut the deficit to fourteen points with more than half the second period still remaining and the home side then received a real boost when Wolves No 6 Gareth Hill,who had been having a good game,was sent off for a late tackle on flyhalf George Morgan as he cleared the ball to touch.

With the visitors reduced to fourteen men for the last quarter KC’s seized the opportunity to take the game to them and with Layton Wilkinson in the vanguard they built up a real head of steam.Despite losing skipper Rhys Pritchard with a shoulder injury they gradually racked up the pressure and when coach Andy McLellan kicked a penalty to five metres they won the lineout with a clean Chris Baldwin catch and upon receiving the ball George Morgan cut back against the grain to run through the Wolves’ forwards and round nearer the posts to assist the conversion by his brother Freddie which reduced the arrears to 22-15.
With five minutes left to play Wolverhampton tried to run the ball out of their own 22 but got themselves into trouble and although they had the put in at the resultant scrum a mighty Kidder shove won them a penalty which was again put into touch five meters out and in a virtual replay of his previous try George Morgan again utilised the short side to get over the whitewash,this time wider out,to bring KC’s to within two points.

Then,with time almost up the home side were awarded a penalty on Wolves’ ten metre line and although the kick was at the edge of Freddie Morgan’s range the young No 9 showed nerves of steel to slot the ball cleanly between the posts and complete a remarkable comeback.

On Saturday 21st November KC’s entertain top of the table Moseley Oak – KO 2.15pm.