Match Report courtesy of KC's Press Secretary Martin Easton....

The dreadful weather inevitably resulted in this much anticipated local derby between two in form sides being reduced to a forwards slog which the hosts edged by the narrowest of margins although KC’s losing bonus point keeps them level pegging with their rivals,both sides now on 33 points in Mids 2 West (South) and trailing the top two by six.
Playing up the slope and into driving wind and rain,KC’s were clearly going to be up against it from the start.

Nonetheless, after five minutes a strong run out of defence by No 11 Arthur Chiverton had Droitwich back pedalling but the hosts regained possession and cleared to touch. KC’s,perhaps unwisely,opted for a quick throw but were only able to go sideways across the pitch before becoming isolated and conceding a penalty and the kick just scraped over the bar to give the home side an early 3-0 lead. They missed a second penalty opportunity and understandably both teams were playing ten man rugby,continually taking the ball back to their forwards, but after twenty five minutes Droitwich moved the ball through the hands for the first time and it took a fine covering tackle on their left wing by flanker Rob Phillips to snuff out the
danger.

Unfortunately,minutes later he had to leave the field after taking a bang to the head and having already lost No 6 Ben Binnion to injury KC’s were forced to reshuffle their pack.Despite this their forwards were becoming increasingly influential and clean lineout ball on the half hour mark was followed by a series of drives which took them right up to the hosts 5 metre line.Scrum possession got them over the tryline,only to be held up,and they then again almost scored when they worked the blindside from the resulting set piece but were thwarted once more.The intense pressure was,however,finally rewarded when Chiverton came off his wing and used his strength to power over for a try under the posts converted by flyhalf Andy McLellan to give KC’s an unlikely 7-3 halftime advantage.

Having enjoyed more territory than they could have anticipated when playing against the elements in the first forty minutes and finding themselves in front,KC’s appeared to have done the hard work and really should have finished the job in the second half.The forwards worked their socks off with ground making bursts by skipper Rob Delahay,Layton Wilkinson and Stuart Sims punching holes in Droitwich’s first up defence time and again but the hosts were defending for their lives and the all important second KC’s score just would not come.The longer the stalemate went on there was always the worrying threat of a breakaway Droitwich score and with only four minutes remaining Kidder’s worst fears were realised. A skewed kick from hand on halfway had plenty of elevation but no direction and when it landed the ball was hacked on by the hosts into KC’s 22 and with too many players caught upfield Kidder were powerless to prevent Droitwich giving their No14 an easy run in to pinch the win at the death.

KC’s were left to rue a below par second half performance in which they were unable to notch up a single point but credit Droitwich for refusing to accept defeat and for taking just about the only chance they had in the second period and although it was not much of a spectacle,also credit both sides and the referee for putting on any sort of game in the appalling conditions.