Grove 15 - Witney 19
After last weeks defeat it was important that Witney put in a good €œday at
the office€ in their top of the table clash with Grove. They did just that
and a dominant performance, especially in the forwards, gave them a 0-7
interval lead and they were generally on top. Stalwart Mark Serle was at the
heart of the tight play and after three successive collapses of a driving
maul, the referee correctly awarded a penalty try. Charlie Bennett was in
great form in the lineouts too and stole some crucial possession as well as
making a number of tackles and really €œmanning up€. In the lose, Tim Muller
was a real thorn in the side of the hosts too and the visitors should really
have scored more than their one try, Ed Mitchem converting.
The second half got even better for Witney as a great ball off the top of a
lineout from Charlie Bennett saw sweet hands and winger Louie Collins
steaming over in the corner, Mitchem converting from the touchline. The third
try came after great work from Owen Fowler who tackled a Grove player and
then turned him over in the tackle. The ball was recycled and spun wide for
Gareth Campbell to score out wide, Mitchem€™s conversion narrowly missing.
Things then took a turn for the worse and both Sam Collins and James Lamb
were a bit unlucky to find themselves in the sin bin, the former for not
rolling away when he seemed pinned down and the Witney skipper for kicking a
ball away. Joe Rowles was then unlucky to be penalised for entering a ruck
and Grove scored to give them a lifeline. Some uncharacteristic poor tackling
then saw Grove score again and set up a nervous last few minutes but Witney
held on and few could have denied overall that they were the better side.
1st XV
Mitchem, Collins(L), *Lamb(J), Strutt, Monks, Lamb(H), Campbell(G): Serle,
Collins(S), Richens, Fowler, Bennett, Muller, Caffekey, Rowles
Repl: Godfrey(D)(Serle), McBurnie(Caffekey), McRoberts
