Avon (away) 30th November 2013

Western Counties North
Avon 11pts
Drybrook 17pts

Click here to read Avon’s match report

Drybrook kept pace with the league leaders with this excellent victory at Avon to maintain third spot in the table.
Drybrook, traveling with seven changes to the team, took a while to settle into the game and came under pressure in the early exchanges.
Fifteen minutes into the first half, Drybrook were defending stoutly but, caught offside, conceded a penalty. The following kick, lineout and catch and drive led to an Avon try.
Drybrook, now gaining confidence and taking the game to Avon, drove down the pitch and following a good handling move, Kristian Taft was put over in the corner to level the scores at 5 all.
Shortly before half time, Drybrook were adjudged offside following an attacking Avon scrum. The resulting penalty kick was successful.

Half Time:
Avon 8pts
Drybrook 5pts

Liam Jackson, making a welcome return to the side, replaced Joe James in the second row for the second half.
Five minutes into the half, Drybrook broke out from deep and following good interplay between forwards and backs, showed some slick handling to put Jackson over, to take the lead for the first time.
Both side showed sound defence and for the next fifteen minutes, neither side managed to gain advantage. However, Drybrook forwards, on the rampage, set up a ruck 5 metres from the Avon line and enabled Mitch Baldwin to scamper over for a try, converted by TomTreherne.
With the score at 17 – 8, Lee Ward was yellow carded for killing the ball. and Drybrook defended heroically, conceding a penalty but preventing Avon from crossing the line. The game ended with Drybrook winning 17 – 11 and in the circumstances this was a very good victory indeed.

DRYBROOK: 15. Tom Treherne, 14. Kristian Taft, 13. Dan Cox, 12. Simon Rugman (capt), 11. Sam Peaper, 10. Ben Large, 9. Mitch Baldwin 1. Craig Clarke 2. Ashley Howells. 3. Nick Ovens. 4. Neil Morgan. 5. Joe James. 6. Lee Ward. 7. Dan Price. 8. Mitch Bourne.
Replacements: Dean Jelf, Liam Jackson, Rorie Day.

Gloucestershire Reserve League Premier

Drybrook United 11pts
Cleve 2nds 10pts

Drybrook 2nds just squeezed home against Cleve in a match that could have gone either way.
All the early pressure came from the visitors who took the lead with a try but Drybrook hit back when Jim Rugman was driven over from a line out.
Cleve began to get on top towards the end of the first half, and after coming under a lot of pressure at the scrum, Drybrook conceded a try from a quick tap penalty.
Skipper Andy Milner closed the gap to 8pts -10pts just before the break with a well struck penalty kick.
The second half was just as evenly contested and Milner put Drybrook ahead with his second penalty after 25 minutes.
Cleve hit back strongly and Drybrook had to hang on by the skin of their teeth to hold out for victory.
For Drybrook centre Aiden Price was the key player with a few incisive breaks as well as good all round game in defence and kicking out of hand.

Drybrook United XV; Adam Swordy, Will Bailey, Connor Hale, Aiden Price, Luke Roberts, Andy Milner(capt), Kieran Auker-Howlett, Connor Auker-Howlett, Tom Maskill, Jim Smith, Mitch Hale, Glenn Nott, Jim Rugman, Mitch Browning, Craig Moore.
Replacements; John Jeffs, Duncan Whatmore, Dave Jones

Gloucestershire Reserve League North 2

Coney Hill “B” 44pts
Drybrook Extras 7pts

With Coney hills 2nds not playing Drybrook 3rds were up against it from the start against some good running backs that led to the home side building up a 26pt – nil advantage at the break.
In the second half Drybrook put a few phases together and managed to get on the score sheet through a driving maul with Jon Mustoe touching down after 55 minutes and Ben Roberts converting.
This proved only a temporary set back to ConeyHill who ran out deserved victors as they ran away with the game.
Drybrook had a lot of new faces and could not get settled in the game but there was some good news with the performance of young debutant Andy Wallace who looks a promising player for the future.

Drybrook Extras XV; Ben Roberts, Jack Freeman, Jay Knight, Tony Hussey, Kane Hale, Jimmy Ryder, Danny Verry, Chris Parker, Andy Warren, Nathan Gurney, Steve Turley, Andy Wallace, Iain Murphy, Jordan Taylor-Bourne, Jon Mustoe.
Replacements; James Ellway, Clive Boughton, James Colwell.