Sun 22 Sep 2002
Eccleshall –13
Uttoxeter – 44
Uttoxeter are through to the second round of the Powergen Junior Vase after beating lowly Eccleshall on Sunday.
Town made heavy going of the proceedings on the home side's freshly mown cow pasture with not even a touch flag in position.
Uttoxeter's horrendous injury list, combined with a lack of players' commitment, meant Gordon Richardson, Lee Hudson and Dave Wheeldon having to take the field for the second time in two days, having played at Whittington the previous day for the second XV.
In turn, several of their walking wounded were on the replacements' bench, including skipper Tony Ball, despite still nursing a broken jaw. Mercifully, he was not in the end required to take the field.
But there was some relief for the Uttoxeter side when Vince Whelan, on a flying visit from America, where he is working, turned up for duty.
He took over the inside centre berth to partner Ian Bould, with Hudson and Wheeldon on the wings and Richardson at full back.
Jason Cabrera once again captained the side from scrum half, with John Tomlinson making his season's debut at No 10.
From the kick-off, the away side flattered to deceive as they swept into the home 22.
A powerful drive from No 8 Nick Grout set up a try for Andy Moult, the lock forward plunging over for an unconverted five pointer with just three minutes played, and a rout looked on the cards.
But silly errors from the visitors allowed Eccleshall to snatch the initiative and grow in confidence as Town's mistakes, as much as the home's side enterprise, put them under pressure.
When Eccleshall were awarded a free kick in their own half, they hoisted a high ball deep into the town's twenty two. A wicked bounce saw the ball elude full back Richardson. His opposite number, Paul Dollin, came racing after the kick, and was able to snatch up the loose ball, and race over for an opportunist try, which Mike Gibbons converted to give the home side the lead.
Uttoxeter did briefly regain the initiative when a penalty goal by Tomlinson sailed over the bar, but it was to be short lived.
More foolish errors gave Gibbons the chances, which he gratefully accepted, to slot over two well struck penalty goals as the town side continued to make unforced errors in abundance.
Then as half time approached, the visitors pulled themselves together, with the forwards providing a solid platform, which enabled scrum half Cabrera to go scything through the cover.
Grout, in support, went thundering into the 22, and from an ensuing ruck the ball spun slickly along the line, and Bould went cruising in at the right corner, levelling the scores at the break, at 13 all.
Following the change round, Eccleshall conceded a penalty at the first lineout. Cabrera took a quick tap ball to send Nick Smith driving for the Eccleshall line. Although the big flanker was stopped inches short, prop forward Donald Hayes was at his elbow to go driving over the Town's third try, which was converted by Whelan.
Thanks to some acrobatics by Mike Ball and Steve Palmer in the lineouts, which gave a steady stream of possession to Uttoxeter, they were at last showing some fluency in their play. The hard working pack once more drove into the Eccleshall twenty two. When the ball was fed back to Cabrera from a maul, the scrum half darted over for another five pointer, to which Whelan added the extra two.
With their opponents now on the rack, Grout was thwarted from gaining a try when he collided with the upright as he twisted over to touch down, dislodging the ball.
However, Eccleshall had been initially offside, and Cabrera took another quick tap ball penalty, flung the ball out to Whelan on the wide outside, and the centre went scorching in at the corner flag.
Although Eccleshall were now firmly on the back foot, they resisted gamely, helped by Uttoxeter spoiling their own attacks by conceding penalties.
They then showed petulance for which referee Dave Davis added 10 metres to the initial offence, which simply gave the home side more breathing space.
However, when an Eccleshall clearance went straight into the hands of Whelan, just outside the twenty two, the strong running centre went galloping home unopposed for his second try, which he also converted.
In the closing stages, as Uttoxeter swept back upfield, they reached the try line, only for the ball to be knocked on in the shadow of the Eccleshall posts.
The home side attempted to clear following the ensuing set scrum, but under immense pressure the ball was sliced and well fielded by the powerful Lee Hudson, who went thundering back into the cover, flicking the ball as he was tackled, for Whelan to find Grout, who went charging over for a try at the left corner which remained unconverted.
This week Uttoxeter entertain Telford at Oldfields for their first home match of the season, which will also be their first game in the Midlands 4 West (North) division
