Nuneaton 33 - Westoe 17
Feb
Once again, promotion-chasing Westoe contrived to shoot themselves in the foot.
In a gloomy echo of their defeat at the hands of third-bottom Morley last month, an unaccountably slipshod performance handed the points to opponents struggling to shed demotion fears.
It would be harsh to be too critical of a team that has won all but three of the 19 games so far to attain second top spot in National 2 North but Gareth Nesbit’s men will be kicking themselves for an error-strewn display.
That Loughborough Students, a place and a point behind, were also beaten 16-14 in a hard-fought game at Leicester Lions can be seen either as a saving grace or a chance squandered to put some distance between them.
And all credit must go to Nuneaton for taking their chances and especially to fly half Lee Chapman who converted all of his side’s three tries as well as three penalties and kicking a drop goal.
Afterwards home team official admitted that they would have been content to take a bonus point from a game with opponents so far above them and who had given them a 31-3 beating on their own turf back in October.
Nes said: “We just didn’t perform. Individually and as a team we fell below the standards we set ourselves and it was the routine things that we got wrong.
“We had plenty of possession and opportunities but we wasted them. Nuneaton didn’t need an invitation to take advantage and they deserved their victory.
“But it is not the end of the world. We are a good team who have shown we can beat the best. So we must learn a lesson from this then put it behind us and press on.”
Certainly, Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored Westoe got off to an attacking start which was rewarded in the ninth minute when a pack surge enabled prop Raymie Elliott to burst over.
But almost immediately the home team backs responded with a fluent attack by the backs that ended with number 8 Mike Ashton going over in the corner, Chapman’s conversion giving his side the lead which he extended soon after with a penalty.
And midway through the half centre Mike Umaga, the player-coach who was celebrating his birthday, broke through and more fine handling enabled winger Elliott Brown to touch down, the admirable Chapman making it 17-5.
With a yellow card reducing the hosts to 14 men, Westoe piled on the pressure, flanker Aaron Myers bursting over from the back of the scrum and then full back Scott Jordan following up his own chip ahead to score, fly half Mark Bedworth’s conversion levelling matters.
Nuneaton fought back with a Chapman penalty and drop goal either side of the interval whereupon the Shieldsmen took control but a sad catalogue of errors enabled the home team to survive the storm
The visiting pack had had the better of things throughout, but their lineout ball on the five metre line was stolen for the first time in the 67th minute, scrum half Alex Mumford scrambling through to score and effectively settle matters.
A penalty two minutes from the end completed Westoe’s misery.
*The Thirds’ splendid Durham County Cup run came to an end when, after carrying off the trophy for the past four seasons, they were beaten 28-12 in the quarter final at Durham City.
Playing a major part in the home team’s victory was Garath Archer, 36, the ex-England lock who began his career as a schoolboy at Wood Terrace. Now part of the coaching set-up at Hollow Drift, he came on as a 22nd minute replacement to add real power to the pack.
For Westoe, tries were scored by winger Morgan Lowrie and scrum half Anthony Kail with fly half Colin Gillespie kicking a conversion.
*The Seconds, much depleted by injury and absenteeism, got a 66-0 drubbing at West Hartlepool - unbeaten so far this season - in the quarter final of their county cup competition. ‘Pool will again pay hosts to the Shieldsmen in a Candy League clash this Saturday.
* A much shuffled Colts XV, also hit by a player shortage, came a similar cropper in their Under-18 League match at Alnwick, being hammered 69-0. Travelling with just two replacements, they were further handicapped by four injuries late in the game.
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