Sat 30 Nov 2002
Yardley & D ist – 16
Uttoxeter – 19
The long-awaited first Midlands Division 4 North West League victory, which had eluded Uttoxeter's injury-ravaged squad for so long this term, was finally forthcoming in miserable and wet conditions at Yardley and District on Saturday – despite the town team losing several more key players due to work and other commitments.
The absentees included Dean Hayes missing from the pack, and new signings Andy Manley and Chris Bassett, along with stalwarts Matt Williams and Ian Bould missing from the back division.
So yet another enforced half back pairing, saw Andy Gagie return to the side at scrum half, where he was partnered by skipper Tony Ball at No 10.
The versatile Shawn Gorman moved out of the pack to fill the void in the centre and Dave Wheeldon was promoted from the 2nd XV to take his place on the wing.
A highly-disciplined team performance saw the town side, take an early lead and then have to come from behind to secure victory.
Uttoxeter were forced to weather early pressure deep within their own half, but the solid defence which was sadly missing at Leek two weeks ago and on which the town side have based their success in recent campaigns, kept the front door firmly bolted.
Skipper Tony Ball, now thankfully recovered from his broken jaw, looked sharp at outside half and it was his excellent tactical kicking and a scything run that gained the valuable field position which led to the game's opening score by Uttoxeter.
From a penalty in midfield, Ball found a superb touch in the corner. A set move from the ensuing lineout saw Hodgkinson tap the ball down to Jason Cabrera on a front peel, and the home side had no answer as the Uttoxeter open side flanker beat the Yardley winger to thunder over for a powerful unconverted fiver pointer.
Uttoxeter were unable to add to their score before the break, however, due to a number of handling errors which cost them valuable field position.
This enabled the home side to capitalise, when on winning possession at a lineout on the visitors 22, they set up a driving ruck.
The town's defence was unable to contain them as they drove over to level the scores, to which their fly half added the extra two to give his side the lead.
He then rubbed salt into the wound by following it up shortly afterwards with a well struck penalty goal giving Yardley a 10 points to five advantage at the change round.
Playing down the slope in the second period, the town side stepped up a gear, but over-enthusiastic play resulted in their indiscipline yielding a further penalty to their hosts in midfield.
Yardley's lead was extended to 13-5 and the game was in danger of slipping away from Uttoxeter.
However, tremendous spirit and determination from the town side, turned the proceedings around following a penalty award, from which Ball found a superb touch in the home 22.
Uttoxeter's bristling forward play put Yardley onto the back foot as they were trundled backwards in a solid rolling maul.
Hooker Donald Hayes combined with Cabrera as the pair peeled off, with the latter plunging over for a well worked try, to which Ball added the extra two points with a fine conversion from out wide, and the visitors were only a point in arrears.
This proved to be the turning point of the match, as well as a purple patch for the visitors, as their forwards had taken control to starve the home side of possession.
Play was once again worked into the Yardley 22, and spun out into the midfield, where an audacious drop goal attempt by Uttoxeter's emergency centre Shaun Gorman was narrowly charged down by a Yardley knee.
However, the towns third try followed shortly afterwards with the pressure still firmly on the home side.
Several quick passages of play culminated in the evergreen Donald Hayes taking possession from the base of a ruck, quick thinking from the Uttoxeter hooker fooled the Yardley defence and Hayes strolled in under the posts from 20 metres out.
Tony Ball added the conversion, and the visitors held a 19-13 lead.
Yardley staged a grandstand finish, which brought the best out of the solid Uttoxeter defence, but despite a spirited fight back, they could only manage the consolation of a penalty goal.
Another penalty awarded to Yardley in the nerve jangling final minutes which could have tied the scores, sailed wide on the final whistle as Uttoxeter pulled off a dramatic victory.
The long-awaited first Midlands Division 4 North West League victory, which had eluded Uttoxeter's injury-ravaged squad for so long this term, was finally forthcoming in miserable and wet conditions at Yardley and District on Saturday – despite the town team losing several more key players due to work and other commitments.
The absentees included Dean Hayes missing from the pack, and new signings Andy Manley and Chris Bassett, along with stalwarts Matt Williams and Ian Bould missing from the back division.
So yet another enforced half back pairing, saw Andy Gagie return to the side at scrum half, where he was partnered by skipper Tony Ball at No 10.
The versatile Shawn Gorman moved out of the pack to fill the void in the centre and Dave Wheeldon was promoted from the 2nd XV to take his place on the wing.
A highly-disciplined team performance saw the town side, take an early lead and then have to come from behind to secure victory.
Uttoxeter were forced to weather early pressure deep within their own half, but the solid defence which was sadly missing at Leek two weeks ago and on which the town side have based their success in recent campaigns, kept the front door firmly bolted.
Skipper Tony Ball, now thankfully recovered from his broken jaw, looked sharp at outside half and it was his excellent tactical kicking and a scything run that gained the valuable field position which led to the game's opening score by Uttoxeter.
From a penalty in midfield, Ball found a superb touch in the corner. A set move from the ensuing lineout saw Hodgkinson tap the ball down to Jason Cabrera on a front peel, and the home side had no answer as the Uttoxeter open side flanker beat the Yardley winger to thunder over for a powerful unconverted fiver pointer.
Uttoxeter were unable to add to their score before the break, however, due to a number of handling errors which cost them valuable field position.
This enabled the home side to capitalise, when on winning possession at a lineout on the visitors 22, they set up a driving ruck.
The town's defence was unable to contain them as they drove over to level the scores, to which their fly half added the extra two to give his side the lead.
He then rubbed salt into the wound by following it up shortly afterwards with a well struck penalty goal giving Yardley a 10 points to five advantage at the change round.
Playing down the slope in the second period, the town side stepped up a gear, but over-enthusiastic play resulted in their indiscipline yielding a further penalty to their hosts in midfield.
Yardley's lead was extended to 13-5 and the game was in danger of slipping away from Uttoxeter.
However, tremendous spirit and determination from the town side, turned the proceedings around following a penalty award, from which Ball found a superb touch in the home 22.
Uttoxeter's bristling forward play put Yardley onto the back foot as they were trundled backwards in a solid rolling maul.
Hooker Donald Hayes combined with Cabrera as the pair peeled off, with the latter plunging over for a well worked try, to which Ball added the extra two points with a fine conversion from out wide, and the visitors were only a point in arrears.
This proved to be the turning point of the match, as well as a purple patch for the visitors, as their forwards had taken control to starve the home side of possession.
Play was once again worked into the Yardley 22, and spun out into the midfield, where an audacious drop goal attempt by Uttoxeter's emergency centre Shaun Gorman was narrowly charged down by a Yardley knee.
However, the towns third try followed shortly afterwards with the pressure still firmly on the home side.
Several quick passages of play culminated in the evergreen Donald Hayes taking possession from the base of a ruck, quick thinking from the Uttoxeter hooker fooled the Yardley defence and Hayes strolled in under the posts from 20 metres out.
Tony Ball added the conversion, and the visitors held a 19-13 lead.
Yardley staged a grandstand finish, which brought the best out of the solid Uttoxeter defence, but despite a spirited fight back, they could only manage the consolation of a penalty goal.
Another penalty awarded to Yardley in the nerve jangling final minutes which could have tied the scores, sailed wide on the final whistle as Uttoxeter pulled off a dramatic victory.
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