WANDERERS 35

COVENTRY 37

Long Buckby RFC

Monday, November 4, 2002

The Wanderers lost by a narrow two-point margin to Coventry at Long Buckby RFC's ground tonight.
The 'home' side, playing at alternative county venue for the first time this season, scored five tries and controlled the first half, only to lose their way, and their lead, in the second.
Wanderers' fly-half Mark Gray was the first over after just five minutes and added his own conversion to make it 7-0. Gray was quickly followed, both in time and at speed, by full-back Oriol Ripol. By the 11th minute, Coventry were facing a 14-point deficit.
But they came back in the 29th minute to claw at least five points back though the aptly named
scrum-half Lee Buckby.
The Wanderers kept up the pressure though and put flanker Darren Fox through for a 35-metre run and a try - his first since returning from nearly two years out with a knee injury. Gray successfully kicked the conversion and put the Wanderers in a 21-5 lead. But that lead was cut to 21-10 after flanker Rae Calloway scored Coventry's second try.
At half-time, the usual raft of replacements were made with James Brooks coming on for Ripol, Mark Omischer for prop Chris Budgen, scrum-half Johnny Howard for Ian Vass and No 8 Mark Soden for Adam Jeffries. And it was not long before the Wanderers stretched their lead further with a well-taken try by wing Matt Richards that was converted by Brooks.
But by the start of the last quarter the match had begun to turn for the men in black, green and gold. The visitors scored three tries in 15 minutes, Soden was sent to the sin-bin and the lead had been lost.
As the game went into injury time, Coventry led 28-29 and they made sure of their advantage by adding anotehr try and a drop-goal in the 84th and 85th minutes respectively. But the Wanderers were not done and a last-gasp try and conversion from Brooks closed the gap slightly but not enough for a win.
A disappointing loss, but at least injury returnees Dan Richmond and Simon Hepher came through without any difficulty.

Wanderers:
Ripol (Brooks 40mins); Lincoln*, Hyndman, Llewellyn*, Richards; Gray*, Vass (Howard 40mins); Budgen (Ormischer*), Richmond (Miles 30mins), Todd, Hepher, Hunter (capt), Quigley*, Fox (Bond 61mins), Jeffries (Soden 40mins).

Scorers:
Tries: Gray, Ripol, Fox, Richards, Brooks; Cons: Gray (3), Brooks (2).