Sat 7 Dec 2002
Uttoxeter –. 19
Newcastle – 12
Uttoxeter recorded their second successive victory to lift themselves off the foot of the Midlands 4 North West table at Oldfields on Saturday.
The town side should have wrapped up the points before the break, having trussed up their visiting opponents like a Christmas turkey.
But their inability to add the trimmings could well have cost them dearly in the final quarter as Newcastle staged a fighting comeback.
Keeping up with their tradition this season, Uttoxeter fielded yet another half back pairing.
Chris Bassett reclaimed the scrum half berth oto find his captain Tony Ball at No10 outside him and the pair proved arguably to be the best combination yet.
Uttoxeter worked extremely hard, Davies, Hayes and Moult in particular having their work cut out against a powerful visiting front row in the set pieces.
Uttoxeter, with the chill breeze at their backs, defended the Springfield Road end of the ground and, obviously boosted by their success at Yardley the previous week, took the game to Newcastle from the kick off.
Skipper Ball found the target with a well-struck penalty goal after eight minutes of play.
Despite heavy Uttoxeter pressure, somehow the visitors kept their try line in tact and all that the home side came away with was a second penalty goal from the boot of Tony Ball midway through the first period.
Flanker Jason Cabrera had been immense in leading the charges, but at times he had little support.
As a consequence the town had done everything but score a try, but still they continued to press forward, keeping the visitors entrenched in their own twenty two.
When going on their first sortie into Uttoxeter territory, Newcastle could make little headwayand soon ffound themselves once more on the retreat.
Following a turnover, they almost conceded a try when Matt Williams, playing at outside centre, went scorching after a Tony Ball grubber kick only to be just beaten to the touch down by a defender.
The Uttoxeter captain was then off target with a long range penalty attempt from halfway, following which Hodgkinson from the town side, and Clark from the visitors were sin binned for 'hand bagging.'
As half-time approached, skipper Ball curled over his third successful penalty, to give Uttoxeter a nine-point lead going into the break.
Following the change round, Newcastle stunned their hosts when explosive winger Luke Fowles easily outstripped the Uttoxeter cover from 45 metres out to coast in at the corner and, touch down for the game's first try.
The visitors' elation was short lived because when immediately following the re-start, they tried to pull the same trick again, Andy Gagie snatched an interception, and went galloping home for a solo five pointer, also from 45 metres out, which the inside centre touched down under the sticks, for fly half Ball to stab a simple conversion.
Following a long period of unfruitful Uttoxeter pressure, unfortunately the proceedings became scrappy, punctuated by penalties which spoiled the flow and reduced scoring.
But the visitors to their credit battled on, taking advantage when the referee missed an off-the-ball incident in midfield.
With players and spectators expecting a blast on the whistle that never came, Newcastle were able to attack an empty field and only a last-ditch tackle prevented the visitors from scoring a second try.
The visitors were finishing the stronger and continued pressure from them forced the town side to concede several penalties in their own 22.
The defence finally wilted when referee Paul Daniels ran under the posts to award a controversial penalty try to Newcastle, which fly half Roger Tait easily converted from in front of the sticks.
It seemed the visitors might snatch the spoils at the death, but in the dying minutes town won a penalty in a kickable position.
Tony Ball who had the coolest head on the park, strode up and stroked his kick between the uprights for the final points of the match and Uttoxeter had gained another valuable two League points with their ever first victory over Newcastle following a hard fought encounter.
This week Leek are the visitors to Oldfields, and the town will be out for revenge after the visitors inflicted the heaviest defeat on Uttoxeter for several years last month.
UTTOXETER under 17 travelled to Burntwood for their second outing of the season where they went down to a bigger home side by 19-3 after acquitting themselves
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