By Roger Clarke , Birmingham Mail
November 3 2008

MOSELEY stopped the rot after a run of four defeats with a solid, if unspectacular, victory over lowly Esher at Billesley Common. It would have been a much more comfortable afternoon if they had taken three gilt-edged chances presented to them in the first half but prop Terry Sigley and No.8 James Rodwell both spilled the ball over the line and full-back Andy Binns fumbled a couple of metres short with the line open.

That could have made it 35-7 at the break and game over even though the visitors had been first to work the scoreboard. With eight minutes gone, after Moseley had had the better of the opening exchanges, Esher’s Robbie Shaw slipped the ball to George Lowe who went in under the posts and Neil Hallett added the extras.

Moseley pushed on and six minutes later a sweeping move across the pitch and back again saw wing Nathan Bressington go over in the corner and fly-half Richard Vasey levelled the scores.

The home side took the lead on the half-hour when Henry Trinder found space on the right wing and fed Binns, who went in behind the posts for an easy conversion and a 14-7 lead at the break,

The second half was a scrappy affair and Esher clawed their way back with a Hallett penalty from halfway and another when Sigley was sin-binned brought them closer still. But Moseley regrouped and a Vasey penalty on 65 minutes eased them further ahead and in injury time Bressington dived over for his second and a crucial win.

There was also a cheer for prodigal son Ollie Thomas, who returned for a second spell at the club and came on as a replacement for Binns for the final half-hour.

Head coach Ian Smith said: “We were a little bit anxious and let three go in the first half.

‘‘But the players knew it was a pressure game coming off the back of four defeats.

“We showed ambition in the first half.

‘‘The accuracy was not there sometimes but in the second half we managed to control the game, especially in the last 20 minutes, and got the result.

“Some good parts of the game came together and it was a good collective effort to take the points.”

Moseley 22 Esher 13

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 03/11/2008 18:19

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
03/11/2008 18:19

Moseley 22 Esher 13

Reply Quote Report

Goto: Forum List•Message List•Search• Log In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net