Kenilworth title hopes back on a knife edge following first home reverse

Sam Flowers spreads the play during Kenilworths home defeat to Banbury on Saturday.

After taking an 8-0 lead early on, Ks suffered their first home defeat of the season and only their second league defeat of the campaign.

However, they can still guarantee the title with two bonus-point wins in the closing games at Dunlop and Bedworth.

Kenilworth started brightly and prolific Tom Kendall slotted over a penalty in the second minute.

In the 13th minute, an excellent passage of play from both backs and forwards was finished off by Jimmy Middleton in the corner. Kendall failed with the conversion but at 8-0 up the hosts were looking reasonably comfortable.

However, Banbury gave notice of their intent with two close calls and a failed penalty attempt before the pivotal yellow-carding of Kenilworth’s Jack Gibson.

From the scrum, Banbury scored a converted try to put the hosts on the back foot.

The pressure told again in the 35th minute with another converted try and in added time Banbury scored a third to open up a 21-8 lead.

After the interval, Ks’ lineout failed to fire, robbing them of quality ball while a series of knock-ons furthered hampered the home side’s progress.

A period of Ks pressure did force a Banbury sin-binning and a sniping run from scrum-half Gaz Renowden gained his 20th try of the season.

Kendall added the conversion to cut the deficit to six points.

Play was now almost exclusively confined to the Banbury half and a well-judged kick ahead put the visitors’ young replacement winger in a bit of trouble and he was penalised for holding on.

With time still available, Kenilworth opted for the scrum but it came to nothing to hand relegation-threatened Banbury an unlikely victory.