In the last league fixture of their 2015-16 campaign KC’s travelled to Stafford desperate to make amends after they had thrown away a 26-10 lead at home against the same opposition in the very first game of the season and they narrowly succeeded in a close,fiercely contested encounter which saw indiscipline prove costly for both teams but ultimately more so for the home side.
A penalty to touch by fullback Andy McLellan gave Kidder early field position and when they ran the ball from the lineout possession Stafford were caught offside in front of their posts and skipper Chris Pinner knocked over the penalty for a 3-0 lead with five minutes played.
Stafford knocked on their re-start to give the visitors a scrum from which they moved the ball wide to right wing Josh Winfield and Staffs then conceded a penalty which saw KC’s again get Winfield involved,this time on the left,but his kick ahead was a little too strong and the hosts were able to get some respite with a 22 drop out.
Stafford had not been in the game but after twelve minutes,following a scrum on their ten metre line,their No 5 Oli Greatholder set off on a bullocking run down the middle to trigger a ten minute spell of sustained pressure by the home side culminating in a penalty in front of the sticks which flyhalf Rich Martin duly converted to level the scores.
Staffs again knocked on the re-start but Kidder lost the scrum and after the hosts got in behind their defence they looked odds on to score until flyhalf Freddie Morgan chased back to put in a try saving last ditch tackle.The home side were,however,not to be denied and moments later they won another penalty on the 22 which Martin dispatched to put them ahead 6-3.
From the third re-start KC’s gained some decent possession and when Stafford’s No 6 Tom Windibank was shown yellow at a ruck near the right touchline.McLellan kicked the penalty to five metres.A lineout drive was only stopped at the expense of another penalty but with the ref playing advantage centre James Lloyd-Jones crashed over and Pinner converted to put the visitors back in front 10-6.
Three minutes later Kidder were penalised for offside and Martin again made no mistake but Stafford’s No 8 Steve Rowland was then yellow carded for a deliberate knock on and now with a two man advantage KC’s made the numbers count.Missing two back row players,Stafford were powerless to resist some excellent support play by Kidder and Lloyd-Jones broke through his tackler before slipping the ball inside to Freddie Morgan who scored under the posts and Pinner’s conversion gave the visitors a 17-9 halftime cushion.Nevertheless,the game was still very much in the balance as KC’s first up tackling had been pretty weak throughout the first forty minutes and they had at times looked vulnerable against a determined home side.
Stafford began the second period with only fourteen men but at the first ruck just outside KC’s 22 they won a penalty and Martin punished them again.Kidder’s re-start did not go ten metres and this was certainly not the start to the second half they would have wanted.When the home side were restored to full strength shortly afterwards they enjoyed another spell of sustained pressure,albeit mainly between halfway and the 22 rather than in the danger area until they kicked a penalty to twelve metres.A good driving run by Rowland from the lineout made inroads and the ball was then moved left to centre Rhys Williams who crossed for the hosts only try of the afternoon.The conversion attempt was inches wide to leave the sides locked together at 17-17 and there then followed fifteen minutes of pell-mell rugby as both sides went full tilt to try and make the important breakthrough which eventually went Stafford’s way as Martin nailed his fifth successful penalty to put them ahead 20-17.
Four minutes later Kidder responded with a threatening move down the right featuring centre Arthur Morgan and Winfield who was well tackled but Stafford were penalised at the ruck and when KC’s ran the ball Lloyd-Jones again used his strength to score under the posts and Pinner’s conversion left the home side needing a try or two more penalties to turn the match around.A yellow card for KC’s lock Simon Clarke helped their cause and Stafford looked as though they were going to snatch the win but with the line at their mercy they lost the ball forward and from the resultant scrum Kidder managed to scramble the ball into touch.
KC’s were hanging on but Stafford’s throw at the lineout was not straight and from the scrum McLellan kicked long to keep the hosts at arms length.Stafford gave it one last blast but at the death lost their scrumhalf Matt Walklate to yet another yellow card and Kidder held on to secure a win which they just about deserved after outscoring their opponents by three tries to one.
As had been almost inevitable for several weeks,KC’s finished a respectable fifth in Mids 2 West (N) and can now look forward to the final of the North Mids Shield against Old Salteians on Sunday 8th May at Dudley Kingswinford RFC.