Forest of Dean Combination Minor Cup Final – At Westbury

Drybrook Extra 11pts
Ross 2nds 16pts
(After sudden death)

A break away try from Rhys Chandler in sudden death overtime gave Ross victory in a Combination Cup Final for the very first time.
It was hard luck on Drybrook who had the chances to wrap the game up in ordinary time but indiscipline and poor goal kicking ultimately proved their downfall.
In a tight first half Kieran Auker-Howlett and Jimmy Ryder both missed reasonably simple penalty kicks for Drybrook and after 30 minutes came a game changing incident.
Drybrook pressure finally led to centre Matt Freeman crashing over under the Ross posts for a try which was subsequently disallowed following an intervention from the referee’s assistant. Dangerous play was highlighted and Drybrook’s Steve Virgo was yellow carded for an earlier incident.
Ross escaped with a line clearing penalty but Drybrook soon hit back. This time a fine break by winger Kane Hale led to Freeman crossing the

Ross line to open the scoring. A late tackle in the build up led to Ross centre Dan Field then receiving a yellow card.
A penalty on half way was awarded after the try but Drybrook substitute Chris Treherne was woefully short with his penalty attempt.
Right on the stroke of half time Chris Gage struck a penalty for Ross to narrow the gap.

Half Time:
Drybrook Extras 5pts
Ross 2nds 3pts

Gage kicked Ross ahead early in the second half with a penalty but Drybrook soon regained the lead with a Chris Treherne penalty.
The Ross scrum began to cause Drybrook a few problems and Gage hit the post with another penalty attempt.
Drybrook eventually worked up field and Treherne put them further ahead with his second penalty.
Ross had the better of the last 10 minutes and drew level when former Drybrook under 17 player Chandler crossed for the first of his tries in the corner.
Gage missed the conversion and a minute later

the full time whistle went with the scores locked at 11 apiece.
With darkness descending rapidly the referee decided that the scheduled 10 minutes each way would not be allowed so the final went straight to “sudden death”
Ross had the first opportunity to score but Gage was well off target with his penalty attempt from half way.
Drybrook then created a lot of pressure on the Ross line but then a break out of defence resulted in Chandler outstripping the Drybrook cover on his try scoring run close to the bottom touchline.
Man of the match went to T.C. Leach of Ross.

Drybrook Extras XV; Luke Roberts, Jack Freeman, Matt Freeman, Jack Davies, Kane Hale, Jimmy Ryder, Kieran Auker-Howlett. Steve Virgo, Tom Maskell (capt), Lee Phelps, Dave Jones, Steve Turley, Matt Seaborne, Richard Roberts, Glenn Nott
Replacements; James Smith, Chris Treherne, Clive Boughton, Simon Ballinger.