Although Yardleians sit next to bottom in Mids 2 West (N) they only lost their last league outing by five points at third placed Camp Hill and could not be taken lightly by KC’s who were themselves looking for an upsurge in form after three successive defeats and they soon got down to business with two Rhys Pritchard penalties in the first ten minutes.
Yards responded and went over from a five metre lineout but had knocked on at the throw and Kidder possession from the scrum enabled them to clear their lines.More pressure from the home side was repelled,firstly by a fine relieving kick by skipper Chris Pinner and then by a penalty to the hosts’ ten metre line by Andy McLellan following which the lineout ball was used to initiate some intricate passing exchanges to set up a ruck by the posts.KC’s were held up over the line and although Yards managed to slow down the ball from the resulting five metre scrum they could not prevent flyhalf George Morgan powering his way over for the opening try and Pritchard’s simple conversion extended the lead to 13-0 with twenty minutes played.
Yards then enjoyed a decent spell of possession but Kidder’s defence was solid and after a couple of well worked exits had kept the hosts at bay some smart handling down the right touchline by Pritchard,George Morgan and his brother Arthur culminated in a penalty which McLellan kicked to five metres but the throw was not straight and a scrum penalty to Yards saw them clear to their ten metre line.At the lineout their pack rumbled forward to win a penalty which did not find touch but a couple of unwelcome showers had made the ball greasy and KC’s knocked on.At the scrum thirty metres out Yards played a penalty advantage before being awarded another penalty which they kicked to five metres and from the lineout they drove over to reduce the arrears to 13-5 at halftime with Kidder paying the price for giving away too many penalties in the closing stages of the first forty minutes.
Generally,although the hosts had been strong at the scrums and lineouts in the first period their threequarters had posed little threat and with the wind behind them after the change of ends KC’s looked in a position to take control of the game and within a minute a clean Jack Tunstall catch at a lineout on Yards’ 22 set the backs in motion and a penalty for a high tackle was converted by Pritchard.Five minutes later,after retaining possession and recycling well they won another penalty in front of the posts which was meat and drink for Pritchard and now fourteen points ahead at 19-5 the visitors looked very comfortable.
Yards’ restart did not go ten metres and then when awarded a penalty they failed to find touch before carelessly kicking the ball out on the full from around halfway and the wheels appeared to be coming off. KC’s made inroads with slick hands by winger Jake Shellis and George Morgan down the left touch and a kick deep into home territory was backed up by a good Shellis chase,and although the hosts managed to secure the ball at the ruck their clearing kick barely made the 22.Yards’ woes were compounded when a yellow card reduced them to fourteen men on the quarter of an hour mark but the very kickable penalty to Kidder was unexpectedly off target and although it did not really resonate at the time,in the final analysis the missed three points proved to be very significant.
KC’s continued to be largely untroubled,defending well whenever called upon,but with twenty five minutes played a strong Yards scrum and effective support play led to a try wide out on the left which was excellently converted by their fullback to cut the deficit to 19-12 and suddenly the home side had a spring in in their step.A mazy run by KC’s fullback Freddie Morgan did get them in behind Yards but play had to be stopped for a head injury to a Yardley player and when the game restarted with a Kidder scrum in a great attacking position they rather wasted the possession and their game management was beginning to fray around the edges.
KC’s had to try and see out the closing minutes without George Morgan when he was yellow carded and after kicking the penalty to touch on Kidder’s 22 the hosts’ forwards drove all the way to the line.They tried to muscle their way over with “one inch rugby” but KC’s resisted manfully with some terrific defence and when Yards eventually let the ball out they knocked it on and seemed to have missed their chance.However,at the very last play of the match KC’s crucially failed to find their man on their own throw at a lineout fifteen metres from their line and,playing a penalty advantage,the home side were not to be denied this time and went over the whitewash.Their No 15 converted to tie up the scores and rescue two invaluable points in their battle to avoid the drop but the two points which were snatched away from Kidder at the death saw them slip a place to seventh.
Next week KC’s entertain Shrewsbury - KO 3.00pm.