RUGBY: Newbold deserved a better result from gritty performance

PICTURES BY STEVE SMITH

Midlands 1 West

Newbold on Avon 8 Dudley Kingswinford 13

Newbold returned to action after a week’s break to play Dudley who arrived at Parkfield Road second in the league, writes Phil Fereday.

In wet and windy conditions this was a hard-fought battle between two well matched sides.

A knock on by the visitors gave the Bold a scrum just inside Dudley’s half. This was won and fed out to flyhalf Dan O’brien who did a kick pass out to the touchline to find winger James McGill, who after making ground kicked ahead and touched down in the corner.

Newbold were reduced to 14 men for a yellow card but still the visitors could not find a way though.

The next score came after some strong carries by the home forwards, Rudi Reid and Ben Dawes breaking the visitors’ line and making the hard metres. Dudley were penalised and O’Brien stepped up made it 8-0 from 40 metres.

This was the only scoring of the first half in which Newbold were the dominant side in a bruising contest.

With the hard-working back row winning good breakdown ball No 8 Wes Hallam was prominent. After weathering the attacking storm from the Bold, the away side came back into the game and after another yellow card was for Newbold, they kicked a penlty for 8-3 after 65 minutes.

Bold were still able to keep the visitors at bay until another yellow.

Now down to 13 men and after some gallant defensive work Newbold were not able to stop Dudley using the extra men advantage to score make it 8-10 after 75 mins.

Newbold, now back up to 14 men, threw everything at Dudley trying to get a score they badly deserved but it was not to be and from a break away Dudley were awarded a penalty in front of the posts that was successful.

A gritty team performance from the Bold that deserved a better result.