Drybrook 12ptsNewent 15pts
Newent squeezed home in a very tight game in front of a full house at the Mannings largely due to their ability to keep their discipline in a full blooded encounter.
Drybrook had to play the entire second half with 14 men and twice were reduced to 13 men but they put in a committed performance and were unfortunate to only end up with a losing bonus point for their efforts.
Tom Treherne had the first opportunity to score but sent his second minute penalty wide after Newent were caught offside.
Newent’s Joe Goatley then opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a penalty and his team continued to dominate field position in the opening 15 minutes.
Eventually Newent forced a scrum deep in Drybrook territory and after lots of close range pressing flanker George Phelps created an opening for himself to score the game’s first try.
Goatley extended the lead to 10 points when he added the conversion from a wide angle and then it was Drybrook’s turn to dominate.
Newent were forced to defend a series of penalty kicks to the corner but eventually lost a man to the bin after one discretion too many.
Drybrook then disrupted a Newent scrum and in the ensuing panic No 8 Mitch Renton grabbed the loose ball to touch down for a try.
Treherne converted and for a while neither side could break through but with 35 minutes gone Drybrook’s Danny Price was then sent to the bin.
Next came the turning point of the game when a big flare up resulted in Renton receiving a red card after his punch was singled out by the referee.
Unfortunately the real villain of the peace and the man who sparked off the incident was Newent prop Chris Collcutt, who got away scot free. He kicked a Drybrook player who had his back turned to him in full view of everyone except the referee and the crowd became incensed at the injustice of it all.
Half time:
Drybrook 7pts
Newent 10pts
Roared on by a crowd baying for blood, Drybrook started the second half in a positive mood and seven minutes in they snatched the lead. A perfectly executed catch and drive led to a try for Danny Price but Treherne was unable to add the conversion.
Drybrook continued to enjoy the better of the second half and should of made more of another catch and drive opportunity in the corner.
Drybrook’s over enthusiasm began to cost them as they gave away a string of penalties in good positions with their handling also letting them down at times.
Newent began to get the upper hand at the scrum and with 15 minutes left Drybrook prop Todd Clarke was yellow carded after conceding a number of penalties.
With only 13 men Drybrook were stretched in defence and Goatley had the chance to put his team ahead but hit 2 penalties wide.
Newent were seeing more of the ball and eventually their pressure told when an overlap was created for Phelps to grab his second try.
With only a few minutes remaining Drybrook could not get the quality ball they needed and Newent saw the game out by kicking the ball deep at every opportunity and closing down the home team.
Drybrook; Tom Treherne, Sam Peaper, Joe Miller, Kristian Taft, Mitch Baldwin, Ben Large (Capt),Jack Coombs, Alex Gibson, Ashley Howells, Todd Clarke, Will Greenway, Joe Tingle, Mitch Bourne, Danny Price, Mitch Renton.
Replacements; Ben George, Harry Collins, Neil Morgan.
