KC’s faced a Walsall side sitting third in the table and brimming with confidence after putting 110 points past Shrewsbury last week but although the visitors established an early ten point lead they found Kidder an entirely different proposition in an engrossing match which remained in the balance right up to the final whistle.
The opening exchanges were uneventful but with KC’s strangely sluggish and guilty of careless passing in dangerous areas of the pitch Walsall gradually began to get the upper hand and took the lead with ten minutes played.From a five metre scrum on the right hand side they moved the ball left and their right wing Ethan Walker popped up in the outside centre position to run in from the 22..Just four minutes later the elusive winger crossed the whitewash again to double their advantage after some slick Walsall handling phases and Kidder looked to be in for a long afternoon.
Midway through the half their first meaningful foray into Walsall territory earned them a penalty in front of the posts but the opportunity from twenty five metres was badly missed.However,from the 22 drop out skipper Chris Pinner ran the ball back at the visitors and some fluent interplay was finished off by blindside Chris Baldwin for a fine try which halved the deficit and seemed to instil some self belief in the home side.
Shortly afterwards,with KC’s in possession,play was stopped for an injury to Walsall captain Matt Wood and the game restarted with a Kidder scrum in a great attacking position in front of the posts.From the resulting possession flyhalf Andy McLellan kicked to the left touchline for winger Jake Shellis but although the ball just eluded him and went into touch for a Walsall lineout Baldwin stole their throw and when the visitors were then penalised for a high tackle,this time fullback Freddie Morgan made no mistake to bring the hosts to within two points at 10-8.
At the restart second row Simon Clarke was taken out in the air and in light of the recent law changes Walsall were perhaps a shade fortunate that neither this transgression nor the earlier high tackle resulted in a yellow card.As it was,seven minutes before the break their centre Richard Towe was a little unlucky to be shown yellow for the rather less serious offence of playing the man without the ball.McLellan kicked the penalty to touch eight metres out,only for KC’s to squander the field position when another penalty in their favour was reversed for retaliation but after their shaky start they had improved immeasurably and at halftime the visitors knew they were in a game.
Kidder’s first attack of the second period was instigated by Freddie Morgan running out of defence and linking with his brother Arthur to take play up to the Walsall 22 but a knock on ended the move and six minutes into the half it was their turn to be reduced to fourteen men when prop Matt Rigsby was cautioned for careless use of the boot.Good work on the floor by openside Mike Protheroe then produced ball for McLellan to find an excellent touch on Walsall’s 22.Their throw was not straight and KC’s opted for a scrum at which they were awarded a freekick quickly taken by No 8 Layton Wilkinson to set up a ruck which caught the visitors backs offside and Freddie Morgan kicked the penalty to put the hosts ahead for the first time,11-10.
Following a Kidderminster accidental offside at the restart and a scrum to Walsall the away side enjoyed a spell of pressure which was well defended until a penalty was conceded in front of the posts and Wood knocked over the kick from twenty five metres to restore their two point advantage.
In response KC’s applied some sustained pressure themselves and at a Walsall scrum fifteen metres from their own goal line their No 8 was wrapped up to give Kidder the put in some eight metres out.The ball was cleanly hooked and fed back to McLellan who calmly dropped a goal from the 22 to put them back in front,again by a single point,with twenty four minutes still left to play.
The game was on a knife edge and with the referee allowing it to flow it was very much cut and thrust.Both sides had their moments but the only clear scoring chance came four minutes from time with a Walsall penalty kick at goal from just inside Kidder’s half but Wood’s effort dropped just under the crossbar and at the final play it was fittingly Hillandale Caravans man of the match Chris Baldwin who kicked the ball off the park to clinch a morale boosting win for KC’s which their performance over the last sixty minutes thoroughly deserved.
Kidder have another stiff challenge next week when they take on second placed Leek at Marlpool Lane – KO 2.15 pm.