Dunlop 43 - Pershore 5
Feb
This match confirmed on thing, Pershore are the second best team in the
league. Full credit to Dunlop, their first half performance in
particular, was irrisistable. With two thirds of Pershores first choice
front row injured, scrum time was always going to be difficult, and with
the scrum struggling, Pershores back row, and in particular no 8 Martin
Hope, had little opportunities to attack.From the off, Dunlops backs
mesmerised their counterparts with incisive lines of running, ans
support play. The Dunlop backs skillfully used the off load as a means
of attack, with support runners coming from deep, wave after wave of
attacks ensued. They were rewarded with tries at regular intervals, and
in fact were scoring a point a minute in the first half, up to thirty
eight minutes. 38 to 0 at half time. With a landslide being a
possibility, the half time pep talk galvanised Pershore, and they came
out in the second half a changed team. They began to win a fair share of
the ball, contested at the breakdown, and the defence in the backs
tightened up. Pershore were soon rewarded when stand in prop Steve
Holmes, dummied the full back, and crashed over, the simple conversion
was missed. For the remainder of the half Pershore competed well,
without ever making any clear cut scoring chances. But more importantly
they showed great character in allowing Dunlop to score only one try at
the end of full time. Pershore host Edwardians on Saturday 20 Feb, where
they will hope to get back to winning ways.
