LONGLEVENS RFC
LONGLEVENS 32 - 19 BRISTOL SARACENS
It took a second half fightback having been 11 points behind to ensure a victory in a lacklustre
performance.'Levens started well with a penalty by Antonijevic after several thrusts from the
forwards, catching Sarries offside.Then against the run of play, a mistake by 'levens' backline
gave the ball to the home side who duly turned it into points with a converted try.
Longlevens came back again by power play in the forwards driving deep into Sarries' half and having
sucked in the defence, 'levens had created an overlap which resulted in a try for winger Brian Williams,
having only been promoted from the bench with Shamus Wall failing a fitness test on the morning.
The home side came back after the 'levens had knocked on from the resulting kick off.Sarries kept 'levens
in their half with good defending.This caused another mistake in the 'levens backline, the ball was dropped,
then kicked on by the home side's centres, winger Eddie Cross tried to retrieve the ball, it was spilled,kicked
on and touched down for a converted try for Sarries just before half time.
HALF TIME LONGLEVENS 8 - 14 BRISTOL SARACENS
Coach Andy Deacon's half time team talk must have worked as 'levens started the half by taking their own kick off,
then drove deep into Sarries half recycling the ball numerous occasions.Yet after this first five minutes off unrelenting
pressure, indiscipline gave the home side a chance to clear their lines.They then took the initiative and made headway into
'levens half, with the Sarries' fly half dictating the play and ending up with a try in the corner.
Now at eleven points down, 'levens seem to wake up and started to use their forward dominance with some
crisp rucking and driving mauls which took them deep into Sarries 22.Levens' took a three man lineout,
which was won by Mark Deacon, then as scrum half Neil White went to pass, he decided to cut down the blindside instead,
handing off several players and managed to touch the ball down into the corner despite being drove into touch.
Antonijevic missed the conversion, but this seemed to lift 'levens knowing that they were back in the game and with the slight
slope and the conditions with the away side, they sense that more tries were to come.
The next score was crucial and as 'levens again kept Sarries in their half by the boot of Antonijevic and the forward drives,
it was only a matter of time before 'levens turned pressure into points.The forwards finally made their mark when with a
penalty going in 'levens favour five yards off the Sarries' line, captain Gary Henderson decided to take a scrum instead.As the
ball was hooked and was at No.8 Simon Merrett's feet, levens' pack turned the screw and drove back Sarries's pack towards the
try line, then nearing the line, the home side's scrum half kicked the ball out of Merrett's feet and the referee awarded a
penalty try, which was converted.
Now with 'levens taking the lead, it was only a matter of time before they scored again.They did so with two coming from the
forwards.The first, was from a lineout in Sarries' 22.Longlevens carried out their text book catch drive with tight head prop
Justin Thomas coming up with the ball having been on the end of the driving maul.The second again was a result of the forward's
drives into the home side's 22.Openside flanker Richard Molloy collected the ball from a ruck and went through the middle, with
Sarries' forward's waiting for an attack on the fringes.He was tackled on the line and managed to touch down despite being driven
back.The try was converted by Antonijevic which gave the final score a flattering 32 - 19 to Longlevens.
Overall to say the cliche "it was a game of two halves" would be an understatement.Longlevens were appauling in the first half
giving away stupid penalties through indiscpline and school boy mistakes, costing them fourteen points in the first half.Coach
Andy Deacon must have had words at half time as it seemed to change the team's performance, but he was far from satisfied as
they now have to raise their game for next week's NPI clash away to the South West Two West side, Camborne.Good news saw
the return of players John Wootton and Brian Williams,who shared the two halves.
Team ; D.Hendry,B.Williams(J.Wootton 40'),A.Jones,G.Weatherly,E.Cross,G.Antonijevic,N.White,
W.Speakman,S.Rowan,J.Thomas,T.Bircher,M.Deacon,G.Henderson (c),R.Molloy,S.Merrett. sub not used ; G.Evans
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Email: longlevensrfc@hotmail.com
