Powergen Midlands 2 East

 Matlock 8 Kettering 29

‘Blues march on at Matlock’

Kettering kept up the pressure on the league leaders Hinckley with a comprehensive win at Matlock, where the home side had only lost once previously, this season.

The game was played in beautiful sunny conditions, which showed the picturesque Derbyshire ground in its very best light, and the way Kettering began the game it appeared that they were really intent on enjoying the experience.

The first few minutes saw the visitors creating holes all over the park, and with Paul Gibson, Rory Keir and captain Ryan James in rampant form it wasn’t long before a typical James burst through the middle, led to Nathan Satala scoring the opening try, which Tim Jones could not convert.

Kettering then proceeded to squander at least 4 great scoring opportunities as their pace and dynamic running caused continual problems in the Matlock defence, and the only concern was that it took 30 minutes before another Gibson run led to David Styles picking the ball up off his toes and sprinting through a hole in the defence to score under the posts, to make Jones’ conversion a formality.

Matlock then enjoyed their best spell of the half, and several minutes pressure resulted in a penalty, which ended the half with Kettering leading 12-3.

The second half followed much the same pattern, with the Blues in dominant form, and Paul Sumner benefited from a greta running line and some fine work by Steve Freeman and the Kettering backs, which put the Kettering winger through a hole, and despite initially taking what appeared to be the wrong option by taking the inside line, Sumner still managed to use his strength to muscle his way over for an unconverted try.

With 15 minutes gone the game was well and truly over as a contest, when pressure on a Matlock scrum led to a hurried clearance kick being charged down and scrum half Tom McGoldrick pounced on the loose ball for the try, which Jones converted from wide out on the left.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes a clever kick through from Tom Bridgeman saw Satala grab his second try of the game, as the Matlock No.8 was outstripped by the classy Kettering centre, to give the visitors an unassailable lead.

To their credit the home side never gave up and the last few minutes belonged entirely to the Derbyshire side, whose efforts were rewarded with a late unconverted try, which would have been added to but for some great defence from the whole Kettering side, which kept them out till the final whistle.

RAJ Man of the Match: Rory Keir

Next week sees a break in the League programme, but Kettering have a very busy weekend with cup games against Midlands 1 side Dunstablians, on Saturday at Waverley Road, in the Wells Bombardier Senior Cup Semi-Final, and then a local derby at S&L on Sunday, in the East Northants Cup Semi-Final. Both games kick off at 2.00pm

Other scores

DUNSTABLIANS 2ND XV 15 – KETTERING 2ND XV 15

This game was as close and tense as the score-line suggests, as first Kettering seemed to have the game won, only for Dunstable to score a, converted, breakaway try to take a 15-12 lead, and then the Blues 2nd string fought their way back up-field and were awarded a penalty which was converted to tie the scores, in the Wells Bombardier Merit Table match. Tries from Lester Williams and Jerry Slater, with a conversion by Tom Noble and the all important penalty by George Chudley.

STOCKWOOD PARK 2ND XV 3 – KETTERING 3RD XV 39

Kettering 3rds maintained their winning run in this Wells Bombardier Merit table clash at lowly Stockwood Park. Tries from Jack Hawkes, with 2, and singles from Harvey Smith, Cliff Luthayi, Danny Noble, Andrew Wright and Andrew Jackson, with the latter adding 2 conversions, saw the Blues record a convincing away win.

KETTERING 4TH XV 7 – OLD SCOUTS 3RD XV 25

The 4th team, however, didn’t have such a good day, as a Ben Watts try and Craig Savage conversion were the only rewards for their efforts in a disappointing home defeat.

KETTERING 5TH XV 7 – HUNTINGDON 3RD XV 8

Kettering 5ths lost a thriller against their Huntingdon opposition, although they are claiming a victory, as the Huntingdon try was scored by their own player, Pip Ling, who was “on loan” for the day! The Kettering try was scored and converted by Shane Jackson.

BEDFORD ATHLETIC COLTS 16 – KETTERING COLTS 3

A season which promised so much, seems to running out of steam for the Kettering Colts, as a depleted side gave a disappointing performance at Bedford Athletic, and were duly dumped out of the Eat Midlands Referees cup by a very ordinary Bedford side. Kettering’s only points coming from a penalty, by Karl Mabbutt. The side still ahs the chance to salvage something from the season, and needs to re-group before the league play-off games begin in a few weeks time.

 

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