Recap
Today Kempston made the trip over to Kettering to play their 3rd XV having had a couple of weeks off.
With a new back line and a couple of familiar faces returning to the pack, it didn’t take long before things started to click. Throughout the first half both forwards and backs alike consistently put the Kettering defence under pressure with strong carries, Zak Miller in particular was a menace.
It wasn’t long before the first score of the day with Ewan Casey taking the first of his two tries, although we weren’t able to convert the kick. Ewan picked up his second try of the game not long after as he ran through the defensive lines to score under the posts. This time the conversion was good with captain John Higginson adding the extras.
Towards the end of the first half, Kempston became tired and a little disjointed and Kettering were able to score under the posts which they converted, very much against the run of play. Half time score 7-12.
The second half started very much as the first had ended and Kempston lost their only scrum against the head which lead to Kettering scoring in the corner, which was then converted making the score 14-12.
From then on it was all Kempston. The second half was dominated by the pack, with scrum after scrum. As the clock ticked down, Kempston managed to get a penalty right in front of the posts. Cometh the hour, cometh the man with John Higginson slotting the 3 points to win the game with the last kick of the game. Final score 14-15 to Kempston!
A huge performance from everyone today and one thing that really shone through today was the spirit amongst the squad. The scrums in particular were excellent today, and with the solid foundation from the pack, the backs were able to play with confidence.
Coach Richard Fairhead said “In the first half we were solid defensively and it was pleasing to see what we have been working on in training happen on the pitch. We lacked a bit of fitness and focus at the end of the first half and the start of the second but we were able to get back to our game plan well. A solid win, now we focus on the next game.”
Next match – Saturday 8th October
Merit league fixture vs Dunstablians (a)
Man of the match –
Emmet Faherty – on behalf of the whole front row
Numpty of the week –
Zak Miller – Club captain forgot his boots and had to borrow some