After this defeat, their fifth out of six league matches played so far,saw KC’s sink to the bottom of Mids 2 West (N) they find themselves well and truly mired in a relegation dog-fight and the match next week at near neighbours Ludlow ,just two points and two places above them, now assumes considerably more significance than the usual derby bragging rights.
Kidder were in fact well on top for the first quarter against Leek and it was their failure to turn pressure into points during this period which ultimately proved to be their undoing.Although their kick off did not go ten metres,at the scrum back on halfway KC’s shoved the visitors off their own ball to enable flyhalf Chris May-Miller to find an excellent touch on Leek’s 22;They secured their own lineout ball but their clearance kick was fielded by KC’s left wing Ryan Tiene and his strong run down centre field pegged the visitors back again.
Another destructive KC’s scrum resulted in a penalty which was kicked to twelve metres to re-establish field position and two more punishing scrums kept Leek pinned in their own 22 and it was all Kidder until a knock on and a high tackle allowed them to escape.However,a missed penalty to touch was again run back at them by Tiene and Leek were under the cosh with their only threat coming from a crossfield kick intentended for their No 11 but which the winger could not quite gather.
In the next KC’s attack centre Mike Humphreys almost managed to put Tiene away but the ball was knocked on and although again in trouble at the scrum Leek managed to clear under intense pressure and having ridden out the storm with some dogged defence,aided and abetted by Kidder mistakes,they began to get a foothold in the game and after twenty five minutes took the lead against the run of play.A grubber kick to the right corner resulted in a KC’s lineout on their own five metre line which they safely won but the clearance kick was run back at them and quick ruck ball saw Leek’s No 8 Joel Booth go over for a try which centre Gary McDermott converted.
Four minutes later a long range Kidder penalty attempt fell short and then after good work on the floor by hooker Grant Jones had put them in possession they failed to look after the ball and Booth kicked ahead for Leek’s other centre Nick Palmer to cross for a second try,again improved by McDermott for a 14-0 lead.
KC’s responded with a series of concerted attacks in the last ten minutes of the half during which Leek’s scrum continued to have all sorts of problems and having come close moments earlier right wing Arthur Morgan at last got the home side on the scoreboard with a deserved try after they had won a five metre scrum against the head but they really should have had more to show for their total scrum dominance throughout the first forty minutes.
The first attack of the second half came from the hosts with a Morgan kick and chase but a couple of minutes later a high tackle on Leek’s left wing Dan Sharratt gave McDermott the chance to kick for a lineout twenty metres out at which the visitors attempted to get a forwards drive going but they knocked on and from the inevitable scrum possession skipper Chris Pinner was able to clear to almost halfway.Then,from more scrum possession,a long pass was thrown to Morgan who danced past several defenders before linking with his brother Freddie to take play deep into the Leek 22.
Ten minutes into the second period KC’s won a penalty on Leek’s ten metre line and although the kick was far from a gimme a clean strike by Pinner sent the ball sailing between the posts to reduce the deficit to 14-8.
There then followed a very unfortunate incident when May-Miller,dealing with an awkward bouncing ball kicked through by Leek,suffered a sickening accidental but highly dangerous boot to the head which appeared to knock him out cold.He thankfully recovered after a considerable delay but obviously could play no further part in the match and the visitors’ flanker Andy Thompson was yellow carded by the referee
The next twenty minutes saw both s.ides trying to move the ball at every opportunity but they were rather cancelling each other out and neither tryline was seriously threatened until Leek’s No 4,skipper Luke Hardem,brushed off some half hearted tackles in midfield and sent in flyhalf Sam Hunt for a third try,with McDermott once more adding the extras.
Five minutes later Kidder hit back again when,awarded a penalty twelve metres out,they unsurprisingly opted for a scrum and after working the short side No 5 Jess Smith went over for an unconverted try which cut the arrears to 21-13 and gave the home side a glimmer of hope.However,right on the final whistle the visitors set up a well organised rolling maul from a five metre lineout and hooker Ed Cheadle burrowed over for a slightly flattering bonus point try to seal KC’s fate.
Next week’s fixture at Ludlow will kick off at 2.15 pm