This setback left KC’s fifteen points adrift of fourth spot in Mids 2 West (N) as Wolverhampton convincingly avenged their single point defeat at Marlpool Lane three months ago.
The stiffish breeze slightly favoured the home side in the first half but the opening exchanges were confined to the centre of the pitch until with five minutes played Kidder lost a scrum thirty metres out from their own line and Wolves went through the phases before earning a penalty slap in front of the posts which flyhalf Ben Barnsley easily converted for a 3-0 lead.
Kidder were conceding too many penalties early on and were relieved to see another more difficult Barnsley effort just miss in the tricky conditions.Further Wolverhampton pressure was resisted and a terrific clearance kick to touch by fullback Andy McLellan was backed up by a turnover from the lineout to give KC’s some sort of a foothold and with seventeen minutes played they were awarded their first penalty of the afternoon,only to waste it by kicking the ball dead.Three minutes later another penalty did find touch thirty metres out and the forwards drove into Wolves 22 but when the ball was moved wide a loose pass into touch ended the move.
From lineout possession on their own ten metre line on the right the home side then made rapid progress to win a throw in KC’s 22 on the left and when the visitors were again penalised at a ruck in midfield Barnsley doubled the hosts advantage.Then,with more lineout ball Wolves launched a wave of attacks in Kidder’s 22 whilst playing a penalty advantage and when none accrued play was taken back to enable Barnsley to comfortably convert his third penalty.
KC’s responded by kicking a penalty to fifteen metres and No 8 Layton Wilkinson rolled around the front of the lineout to set up a ruck in a promising situation but when the ball was released to the backs a handling error resulted in more disappointment.The visitors just could not get into the game as an attacking force and on the stroke of halftime they fell further behind when Wolves outside centre Mark Evans powered over for a try which was well converted by Barnsley to give the hosts the cushion of a 16-0 interval advantage and KC’s,who had never looked like troubling the scorers,had it all to do in the second period.
In the event,it was the home side who started the second half the stronger of the two teams with hard running by Evans and blindside Hugh Bevan,who was a constant thorn in Kidder’s side,setting up good field position in the 22.Every time KC’s kicked out of defence Wolverhampton ran the ball back at them with real purpose and it was all hands to the pump to keep them out.At a defensive lineout the visitors got into trouble and a Wolves five metre scrum also had alarm bells ringing until illegal use of the hand gave Kidder a much needed penalty which they kicked to touch to relieve the unrelenting pressure,only to knock on badly at the lineout and concede possession yet again.
Eventually,three penalties to KC’s in quick succession and a strong run by left wing attacking position of the match so far with a five metre lineout but were frustrated once more when the throw was cleanly stolen.Nonetheless,shortly afterwards Kidder enjoyed their first spell of concerted pressure in Wolves 22.Awarded a penalty fifteen metres out,they opted for a scrum and created space wide out on the right but the final pass to winger Josh Winfield caught on the wind and did not quite go to hand.Wolverhampton were,however,at last being penned back and when McLellan kicked another penalty to five metres the forwards drove over from the lineout with Wilkinson getting the touchdown to get KC’s on the board with half an hour played.
A darting run and deft offload by scrumhalf Chris Pinner culminated in another lineout in the same position as Kidder tried to replicate their first score in the hope of at least snatching a losing bonus point but the throw was successfully messed up by Wolves and the home side went on to see out the match without really being threatened again.
KC’s could have no complaint with the result.They did manage to keep a clean sheet in the second half but did not play the referee particularly well at the breakdown and made too many mistakes against an abrasive Wolverhampton team who took no prisoners in the contact area and whilst some such as warhorse Wilkinson relished the challenge the younger players at times struggled to cope with the physicality of the home side.
Kidder will be looking to lift themselves next week when they make the short trip to Stourton to take on Stourbridge Lions in the Midlands semi final of the RFU Intermediate Cup – KO 2.00 pm.