SLEAFORD Rugby Club 1st XV, sponsored by Turnbull Building & Plumbing Supplies, travelled to Nottingham Moderns on Saturday hopeful of their first League win of the season following a narrow defeat at home to West Bridgford the previous week.
Ag
ain the Red and Blacks fielded a much changed side enforced by their ever growing injury list and one late withdrawal meant the team were forced to travel with only two substitutes.
Within five minutes Moderns had stretched Sleaford and ran in an unconverted try around the outside of the defence.
Sleaford came back strongly and applied pressure in the opposition 22 but were unable to convert their opportunities.
A Moderns foray resulted in a penalty on the left, which was duly converted to make it 8-0.
After a series of powerful drives from Sleaford, winger Mackie exploited a gap in the home defence to score his first league try of the season, which went unconverted.
The home side then missed a series of penalties but punished the Red and Blacks for a poor drop out and lax tackling to break through midfield to score a converted try on the half hour. A Mackie penalty on the stroke of half time brought the score to 13-8.
Within 10 minutes of the turn round, poor Sleaford tackling allowed the home side's second row to run in a try, which was converted.
This was to be Moderns last points of the day, as the game lost some direction with both teams desperate for a win and being frustrated by a series of free kicks and penalties awarded at the breakdown.
With five minutes to go Sleaford threw caution to the wind and a series of promising moves across the back line, supported by the forwards, let in first team debutant Josh Wilson for a try, which he converted.
They continued to play adventurous rugby at the death only to be beaten by the clock.
Red and Blacks' back row John Pocklington was voted man of the match for yet another robust and committed performance.
Sleaford 1st XV squad: Angell, Hunt, Davies, Daughtrey (c), Downing, J Pocklington, Sammut, Fisher, Lloyd, Collyer, Dores, Starkey, Batchelor, Mackie, Wilson, Hankinson, Stanger
*On Saturday, Sleaford host Grimsby at Ruskington Road. Kick off 2.15pm.
The full article contains 392 words and appears in Sleaford Standard newspaper.
