Match Report Courtesy of Martin Easton....

Sheer determination and team spirit saw KC’s come away from this bruising encounter with yet another bonus point win and a notable double to boot as they reclaimed third place in Mids 2 West (South) from Droitwich who surprisingly lost at home to Leamington.An enterprising run by fullback Rhys Pritchard in the very first minute of the game took play deep into Dunlop’s 22 but KC’s were missing three props and ominously were penalised at the first scrum when the front rows went down.Nevertheless,they took the lead after ten minutes when a kick downfield by Dunlop’s right wing was superbly taken by flyhalf Chris Pinner in his own half and skipper Rob Delahay linked up play before centre Andy McLellan was released down the left touchline and with a burst of pace easily rounded the fullback to run around the posts and make Pinner’s conversion a formality.Kidder carelessly let the restart bounce,enabling the hosts to establish field position,and from a five metre scrum their powerful No 8 drove through three would be tacklers to touch down.Pritchard and all action second row Rob Phillips then led another impressive KC’s breakout but the ball was lost on Dunlop’s 22 and they kicked to touch.Kidder ran the ball from the lineout and had a good penalty opportunity when Dunlop offended at the breakdown but the chance was missed.The home side’s reprieve was,however,shortlived as another fine run by Pritchard sparked off a terrific KC’s attack.The elusive Pinner opened up Dunlop’s defence and slick handling and passing sent flanker Ben Binnion in for a top notch team try which Pinner improved to put daylight between the sides at 14-5.From the restart Carols again needlessly put themselves under pressure and were made to pay when Dunlop went over in the left corner to reduce the arrears to 14-10.KC’s hit back almost immediately when Pritchard finished off another flowing passage of play,this time down the right touchline,although the move did include a hint of a forward pass.Pinner added the extras and the lead was now 21-10.The match was providing great entertainment for the spectators but a clear pattern was beginning to emerge.Every time KC’s ran at Dunlop a score looked on the cards but on the few occasions the home side had a set piece in the visitors’ 22 they likewise threatened to come away with points.Dunlop also had a man mountain No 10 and a useful pair of centres and the combination of brawn and deft handling paid off when Kidder overthrew a lineout on their own five metre line and the hosts moved the ball right.An offload out of the back of his hand by their No 12 put his partner over and the conversion reduced the arrears to 21-17.On the stroke of halftime Dunlop’s No 8 made inroads to set up a series of rucks and when the ball was released their centres repeated their party piece for a fine converted try which gave them a 24-21 interval lead.KC’s had been outscored by four tries to three in a frenetic,chaotic,helter-skelter first period which had become increasingly feisty and fractious and they were in danger of being intimidated by the physicality of the home side who had not been averse to taking out players behind the ref’s back .An early Dunlop penalty extended their lead and as the match threatened to get out of control an ugly confrontation saw Phillips and his protagonist both yellow carded whilst the home side were lucky to escape further punishment as a clear punch went unseen by the ref.Fortunately,the rugby broke out again with another excellent Pinner break which ended with a scrum just inside the hosts’ 22 from which Delahay broke off and almost made it all the way to the line.At the ruck KC’s were awarded a penalty but perhaps unwisely kicked to touch rather than going for goal and midway through the half they were still trailing by six points which could have been worse had Dunlop not missed a thirty metre penalty chance.The next three minutes saw Dunlop rocked back on their heels as firstly a quickly taken tap penalty by McLellan caught them on the hop and left wing Mitchell Hardwick broke through a disorganised defence for a try which Pinner converted to edge KC’s ahead 28-27.Then from a throw on their own ten metre line KC’s forwards drove on into the hosts half and McLellan appeared from nowhere to break clear and hold off the tackles to increase the advantage to 33-27.The conversion was unsuccessful which meant that Dunlop could still win with a converted try and for the last ten minutes of a half which lasted fifty minutes as a result of numerous injury stoppages they piled on the pressure.They laid siege to KC’s line with a succession of five metre scrums and lineouts and Kidder looked certain to crack but their understrength pack put their bodies on the line and aided by some ferocious tackling they managed to hold out for a win which could not have been more hard fought.This was a real test of character for KC’s which they passed with flying colours and they will be in good heart ahead of Saturday’s much anticipated local derby at home to Droitwich.