Worcester Wanderers 10 : 11 Evesham

Despite an excellent start Worcester Wanderers were unable to capitalise on their backs superiority and lost by one point to a motivated and determined Evesham side.  The loss severely dents their promotion chances.

The teams met in the first game of the season when Wanderers beat Evesham convincingly by 26-12, but the season has taken its toll on the Wanderers and seen a number of key players sidelined through long term injuries.

 The start of the game looked promising for Wanderers within 3 minutes.  From a line out on the Evesham 22, they secured good clean ball and passed to Stand Off Dan Sparrey who in his usual drifting and elusive style scored under the posts to give Joph Young an easy conversion to open the scoring 7-0.

 Young had a further scoring opportunity 10 minutes later after Wanderers were awarded a further penalty for hands in the ruck.  His attempt from 35 metres was perilously close but with the gusty and swirling wind it drifted a foot wide of the posts.

 Wanderers stepped up their game and kept the ball in their backs with several surging runs from winger Jim Callow and full back Mark Duffield, taking them deep into Evesham territory but without scoring.

 The older Evesham forwards showed their experience and although the Wanderers performed better in the scrums than of late, Evesham although larger appeared more mobile and it was clear that their game plan was to pick and drive, which they did through 6 phases down the left touchline to bundle Luke Matthews over for a try which Matt Groves was unable to convert.

 With the score at 7-5 Wanderers pressed into the opposition half and were rewarded with a further penalty again for hands in.  Young’s attempt was again carried by the wind to drift left of the posts.

 In the second half Evesham came out fired up by coach Dougie Payne (the former Worcester National Leagues Winger) and pressured Wanderers in 3 successive line outs finally securing a penalty from a Worcester player holding onto the ball whilst on his knees.  Groves with the wind now at his back kicked the penalty to take his team into the lead at 7-8.

 Wanderers attacked again and again on and numerous occasions were held up only inches from the Evesham line, denied by a determined defence.  This pressure culminated in a further Wanderers penalty for hands in and kicking into the strong wind, Young saw his attempt pushed wide for the third time.

 Evesham frustrated Wanderers especially in the rucks and mauls where constant infringements were causing friction and tension between the teams.  Referee Peter Greenow informed the teams that he would call a scrum as soon as the ball went to ground to prevent the problem escalating.  This had the effect the Referee desired but slowed the game down to a stop/start affair, more suited to Evesham than Wanderers who had been recycling quickly to give their backs space to run 

In an attempt to counter this and enable the flowing backs rugby they preferred, Wanderers ran the ball consistently, even out of their own 22, but they paid the price when a tackled Wanderers player was penalised for holding on after the tackle.  Groves converted the simple penalty in front of the posts to stretch their lead to 7-11.

 Renewed Wanderers vigour again put pressure on the Evesham defence and won them a penalty, which Young kicked sweetly to make the difference 10-11.

 Only a point behind Wanderers pressed and pressed and were repulsed, but were handed a last chance with a penalty from the Evesham front row lifting in the scrum.  The kick was 5 metres into the Evesham half and Young struck it sweetly into the wind but although on target it dropped 2 metres in front of the posts and was cleared by the full back.

 Although Wanderers tried to overtake Evesham they were unable to score again and the obvious delirium of the Evesham players at their win contrasted with the downcast Wanderers team.

 The loss affected Wanderers promotion chances as Keresley scraped a 12-10 win against 2^nd bottom club Southam and with 21 league points against Wanderers 20, they move back to 2^nd place.

 Wanderers have 2 remaining games at Home against Berkswell & Balsall on 2^nd April 2005 and away for the last game of the season against Solihull.

 Keresley have Old Halesonians and bottom team Manor Park on those dates, whilst Edwardians who are now only one point behind Wanderers have Southam and Old Halesonians respectively.

That leaves Wanderers, Keresley and Edwardians competing for the 2^nd promotion place with Keresley and Edwardians having relatively easier games to play, but Keresley remaining favourites after this weekend’s results.

Press Release

Michael Clarke

Chairman

Worcester Wanderers RFC

Saturday 12^th March 2005