Powergen Midlands 2 East

Kettering 12  Hinckley 12 

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and final league table

‘Honours shared in tough encounter!’

Champions Kettering and second placed Hinckley fought out a hard fought draw at Waverley Road which meant that both sides were able to leave the pitch with all their pre match objectives intact!  The Blues unbeaten home league record which dates back to October 2006 is still there to be taken into Midlands 1 next season and Hinckley’s point means that they take on Hereford next Saturday in the Midlands 2 play off which could still mean they will join Kettering in the top flight next season.

Kettering were led onto the field by their three retiring stalwarts Graham Wilson, Phil York and Steve Freeman and with Darren Etheridge leading the side were quickly into their stride and after missing an early kick at goal took the lead with an opportunist try, after stretching the visitors defence an accurate cross field kick from Tom Bridgeman was caught wide out by Luca Rodger who dived in for the score without a hand being laid on him!

With the game meaning so much to Hinckley it was no surprise that they were quickly level as from a rolling maul they drove over to tie up the scores, there was no quarter being given and some of the tackles were bone crunching to say the least, and this was where inspirational skipper was badly missed by the Blues as the back row didn’t seem to have its usual cutting edge.

Kettering had to play the last ten minutes of the half with fourteen men as the young woman referee from London refused to allow encroaching around the ruck situation and she showed consistency as the game went into injury time by sending a Hinckley player to the bin for the same offence.  But neither side could make another breakthrough before the referee blew for halftime.

Half Time:     Kettering 5 Hinckley 5

Kettering’s defence came into its own on the restart as their visitors looked to use their lively set of backs, but the Blues looked secure until they tried to move poor ball down the line and as the ball bounced around it was picked up by the visitors number ten who had the pace to run in from half way giving his kicker an easy two points with the conversion.

The Blues had been trying to use Paul Gibson’s power and strength for most of the game but he had been well shackled by the Hinckley defence but if you keep trying something often enough, it will pay off in the end, and with ten minutes left on the clock, it worked out.  After a couple of promising looking drives had come to nothing the Blues moved the ball wide and Gibson was out wide with a couple of Hinckleys smaller backs in front of him and these proved no trouble to him as brushed them aside on a powerful run to the line, and with Tim Jones off injured, Tom Bridgeman tied up the scores with a great kick into the wind.

With both sides now desperate not to make any mistakes to cause them to lose the game it was no surprise that their was no more scoring as the boot took control to keep the ball in the oppositions half and both sides showed their delight on the final whistle in that they had achieved what they had set out to do!  The huge crowd containing supporters from both sides had much to celebrate and those celebrations at Waverley Road, for a season of great success went on long into the night.

Final Score:  Kettering 12    Hinckley 12 

 

East Midlands Colts Championship Final

Kettering Colts 19          Old Northamptonians Colts 17

Kettering Colts added to the trophies and titles being won at Waverley Road this season as they came from behind twice to win the East Midlands Colts League Championship for the first time for a number of seasons.

Although they took the lead following a James Taylor try an excellent O.N.’s Colts side were quickly on terms and by half time had opened up a 12 – 5 lead with some great forward and back play and Kettering had it all to do in the second half.

To their credit though Kettering quickly forgot how bad they had performed in the first half and with a number of tactical substitutions started to make some headway and were rewarded with a great try as Joe Newman used his speedy footwork and then pace to get in for a try which Bruce Keir converted to tie up the scores.

O.N.s then thought they had won the title when they scored an unconverted try with just a short time left on the clock, but this young Kettering side were not to let the season go by without something to show for it and with the referee wondering what to do if the scores were level at full time they struck the crucial blow with Matt Nield’s try tying up the scores and then Bruce Keir held his nerve with the kick to win them the Championship.

Final Score: Kettering Colts  19  Old Northamptonians Colts  17

 

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