MOSELEY 28

WANDERERS 33

Friendly

Billesley Common

Monday, 24 September 2007

The end-to-end wind and rain played its full part in the proceedings. In the first half, with the wind at their backs, the Wanderers backs were incisive and the forwards galvanised by the regular sight of Stephen Myler’s punts sailing downfield.

Four tries came from the dominance to Mark Easter – after a 90-metre Myler clearance – David Smith, John Brake and Chris Ashton. The three later tries were all well taken in different ways. Smith’s because of the interplay between forwards and backs and the timing of Ashton’s run into the line; Brake’s for sheer cheek and opportunism; and Ashton’s for Myler’s ability to slide through a good kick despite being under pressure.

Myler added three conversions and with the only replies coming from a Paul Cox try and two Greg Macdonald penalties the visitors were comfortably 26-11 clear at half-time, despite Easter’s yellow card.

The score became 33-11 four minutes into the second half with a lovely Jack Hoyles try and conversion, reward for the 19-year-old centre’s two breaks through the Moseley defence.

However, Moseley hit back twice in two minutes thanks to the pace and strength of wing Dan Norton. Though he didn’t cross the whitewash himself he created a try apiece for Macdonald and Ollie Winter. Macdonald added a conversion, and with Karl Pryce’s try a minute past the hour the game was in the balance at 28-33.

With a good climax building fate, or rather the floodlight fuse box, dealt its hand. Twice in 10 minutes half the floodlights failed, both times as the Wanderers were building good attacks. The first time led to a five-minute stoppage. The repeat, a couple of minutes from time, resulted in the full-time whistle and all involved headed to the warmth of the changing rooms.

Teams:
Moseley – Winter; Norton, Culligan, Cox, Pryce; Macdonald, Taylor; Buxton, Caves, Ensor, Hadley, Betts, Macintosh, Bignell, Williams.
Replacements – Smith, Lea, Herrington, Deaville, Uzoigwe, Ward, Massey, Garner.

Wanderers – Harries; Ashton, Starling, Hoyles, Smith; Myler (Anderson 40mins), Brake; Vickers, Shields (Gray 40mins), Purbrook, Browne (capt)(Hoy 40mins), Cannon, Rudzki (Sigley 50mins), Easter, Lawes.

Scorers:
Moseley – Try: Cox, Macdonald, Winter, Pryce; Con: Macdonald; Pens: Macdonald (2).

Wanderers – Tries: Easter, Smith, Brake, Ashton, Hoyles; Cons: Myler (3), Hoyles.

TIMELINE:
4mins WAND Try Easter Con Myler 0-7
9mins WAND Try Smith 0-12
14mins MOSE Pen Macdonald 3-12
15mins WAND Try Brake Con Myler 3-19
20mins MOSE Try Cox 8-19
23mins WAND Try Ashton Con Myler 3-26
30mins MOSE Pen Macdonald 11-26
34mins WAND Yellow card Easter
HALF-TIME MOSELEY 11 WANDERERS 26
44mins WAND Try Hoyles Con Hoyles 11-33
48mins MOSE Try Macdonald 16-33
50mins MOSE Try Winter Con Macdonald 23-33
61mins MOSE Try Pryce 28-33
FULL-TIME MOSELEY 28 WANDERERS 33