Stourbridge came to Parkfield Road with a 50%-win record looking for a result in their favour however Newbold were also still looking for the elusive first win and a great game against two balanced sides was on the cards writes Keith Fletcher
Newbold had made changes from the hard fought defeat the previous week with Player Coach Huw Thomas starting at 9 and debutant Wes Hallam in the back row plus some position changes in the back line. Coach Phil Boulton took charge on the touch line having played the night before for Coventry.
Newbold started positively with the forwards carrying well combining with the backs which gained a penalty after 5 minutes. Returning Captain Ben Thompson electing to kick for goal gave Dan O’Brien his first shot which he successfully powered through the uprights.
With all the early euphoria, the score board was being neglected as Mick Wallace and Terry Andrews were caught in the middle of an undoubtedly interesting conversation that only they could decipher. After some course words were fired, Terry finally got the score board ticking as Newbold went 3-0 up.
After some hard running from Ben Dawes, Sam Thompson and the rest of the marauding Newbold pack, Oisin McKenna made a great break for the line which was cut short although some brief exchanges and some indiscretion from Stourbridge gave Dan another shot at goal which he drilled through the middle. After the kick off, hard running at the Stourbridge defence by Newbold gave Dan his third penalty, this time from 44yards out which was converted sublimely with plenty in the tank to give Newbold a 9 point advantage.
With 25 minutes gone, Newbold and Stourbridge locked horns in the scrum and what a scrum it was. Newbold did what they do best, producing a huge effort driving the opposition backwards at pace. The back line again combined well with some free-flowing Rugby which lead to another penalty which this time was nudged to the Stourbridge 22. From the line out Newbold pressed, charging forward increasing the pressure on the Stourbridge defence leading to a handling error by Newbold. The scrum was set again and again Newbold were dominant winning the ball against the head, Ben Dawes took the ball on and it made its way to the dancing Lee Lightowler who shipped the ball inside to the ever-present Dan O’Brien who continued to score all the point so far completing a quite memorable try with his conversion, Newbold were going well 16-0.
The only down side to Newbold’s game was the catching of the ball after kick off, Newbold were struggling to the keep ball which was encouraging for Stourbridge, however the away side recycling was as equally encouraging to Newbold as the lads were turning the ball over seemingly at will. A great break from Ben Hartwell supported well by Rudi Reid saw Newbold gain a penalty on Stourbridge’s 5yard line. A strange decision lead to a Stourbridge penalty which was quickly taken and catching Newbold asleep, Stourbridge ran a try in from virtually their own try line to bring them back into the game.
Some brief exchanges saw Newbold close in on the opposition try line however with half time looming the referee had seen enough and brought the first half to a close as the score sat at 16-7, giving the supporters some rest bite and a chance to replenish their own type of sporting electrolytes with some well-earned, extremely well served ale and in delightful surroundings of the club house, a chance to discuss the first half proceedings.
A scrappy start to the second half saw Stourbridge pile the pressure on Newbold however the lads were more than a match and turned the ball over, the Stourbridge lads felt somewhat aggrieved and started an altercation which resulted in both teams having a player sent to “calm down” for 10 minutes although Stewie “the hit man” Houghton did not deserve his spell in rugby jail as he was showing the Newbold lads what it means to wear the red and black. Stourbridge were handed a penalty from which they delivered and saw them close the gap to 6 points at 16-10. From the break-down Dan fired the ball up to and beyond the Stourbridge 10-yard line, a huge clearing kick giving Newbold some slight breathing space. With 25 minutes remaining, Stourbridge indiscretion saw another opposition player have 10 minutes but this did not deter them from producing arguably their best period of the game, from the back of a scrum on the half way line a blindside move saw their winger rampaging up the line, if it were not for a Tom Dixon tackle they would have been in unopposed which would have levelled the scores but it was not to be. With the line out just inside the Newbold half, Newbolds club stalwart and all round bloody nice bloke Dickie Elliott offered some encouragement “C’mon Newbold, you’ve gone to sleep” was his cry along with his old favourite “C’mon the pudding club” always never missed by the home support.
After a series of phases with some good line breaks and heavy artillery blasting holes in the weary Stourbridge defence, patience was needed, the try was coming. James McGill, Ed Scott, Dawesy, Duzza Ziba all involved to give Ben Thompson his chance to dive over and drive the score board onward, with the conversion again successful Newbold could have been forgiven for thinking their work was done with 15 minutes remaining however, its never say die nowadays and Stourbridge hit back with what can only be described as an unopposed try as Newbolds tackling disappeared momentarily and the visitors ran in to bring the score to 23-17, finger nails were being gnawed away and this was not good for Stubber’s heart rate
Handling errors, tiredness, incomplete passes were now taking their toll, the game had gone downhill as the final 10 minutes were unlocked. Another penalty gave Dan a shot at goal to ease the pressure on the players and supporters alike, 26-17 with 8 minutes to go.
Newbold were now looking favourites as with only 5 minutes left the ball flew out form the back of a ruck and Dan dropped a goal from at least 35 yards out, and truly magnificent effort to put the home crowd in rapture at 29-17.
Things were going Newbolds way or at least they thought that until Stourbridge again broke free to run in under the posts to bring the score again to within a try to level it at 29-24.
With a frantic 2 minutes left, Dawesy won a penalty that gave Dan the chance to work the ball up to Stourbridge’s 22, great work from the line out and with pressure mounting Stourbridge again give away a penalty and Dan drives it through, 32-24, Dickie Elliot again offering encouragement to the referee this time “Great work Sir, only another 25 minutes to go” we believe Dickie had timing issues??
In the dying embers of the game Stourbridge had the chance to kick for a losing bonus point however this was missed and in the gathering darkness the final whistle was sounded.
A great performance from the entire squad, dogged determination and the sheer will power got the lads over the line. More hard work to be done next week away to Sutton Coldfield who will be equally up for the fight as they now sit just behind the boys in the league. Please make the effort to come and support as all the lads need and appreciate you the supporters also.
We go again !!
