Kesteven Rugby Club are victorious against Nottingham Moderns
Kesteven Rugby Club secured their first win of the season in Counties One Midlands East (North) after a hard-fought 21-17 victory over Nottingham Moderns on Saturday.
Both teams earned promotion last season, with Kesteven winning the league and Moderns finishing second, making this match a closely contested encounter.
Kesteven opened the scoring early in the game with Harry Clough crossing the line after a well-executed setup by James Goodrich. Henry Parker added the conversion, putting Kesteven ahead 7-0.
The rest of the first half saw strong defence from both sides and the score remained unchanged at the break.
In the second half, Nottingham Moderns responded with a try, but they missed the conversion, leaving the score at 7-5.
Kesteven quickly extended their lead when Scott Odams powered over the line with Parker once again adding the extras, making it 14-5.
The game then took a dramatic turn when Nottingham Moderns were awarded a penalty try, bringing them within two points at 14-12.
Kesteven's discipline faltered with Arlando receiving a yellow card early in the second half, followed by a yellow card for Alex Knight later in the game.
Despite these setbacks, Kesteven remained resilient.
Archie Tagg made a brilliant individual run, breaking through the Moderns line from halfway and sprinting for the try, with Parker’s flawless kicking adding another conversion. This brought the score to 21-12 in favor of Kesteven.
Nottingham Moderns fought back with a late unconverted try, narrowing the gap to 21-17, but Kesteven held on to secure their first win of the season/
James Goodrich was named man of the match for his outstanding performance while Parker impressed with his perfect record from the tee, converting all three of Kesteven's tries.
Kesteven: Joe Dickinson, Ben Hall, Gav Purvis, Ben Bailey, Harry Norsworthy, Ben Taylor, Arlando, Alex Knight, Will Walker, Harry Clough, Sam Gilbert, Conor Stewart, James Goodrich (captain), Archie Tagg, Henry Parker. Replacements: Scott Odams, Cam Muir, Harry Cox.
Kesteven's second team took full advantage of a postponed league fixture by arranging a friendly against Hykeham and securing a dominant 55-0 victory.
The game showcased Kesteven’s depth, with several standout performances and debuts.
Will Young opened the scoring for Kesteven, followed by Charlie Bailey, both tries going unconverted.
The momentum continued as Carl Ellis added a third try, which was converted by Finn Tumman, who was instrumental throughout the match.
Tumman then crossed the line himself, converting his own try, and later set up another for Will Young.
Olly Lowe added another try before debutant Foster-Burton stole the spotlight with a powerful solo effort.
Breaking off the back of a scrum, he charged through the Hykeham defence, securing his first senior try in his first senior game. This impressive feat earned him the man of the match honours.
Olly Coyle rounded off the scoring with two tries, both converted by the returning Matt Grinney, who was also making his comeback from injury.
The game also saw senior rugby debuts for Foston and Foster-Burton, both of whom made an immediate impact, proving they are ready for the next step.
Captain Olie Hanson praised his side’s display, saying: "The seconds really showed the impact they can make with some brilliant phase play and several standout performances.
"A lot of our players are continually pushing for spots in the first team and that showed."
Credit must go to Hykeham, who, despite not having played many games recently, travelled to Kesteven for the fixture and showed great resilience throughout.
Kesteven: Ben Talton, Xanti Xipu, Carl Ellis, Foston, Olie Hanson (Captain), James Holland, Charlie Bailey, Foster-Burton, Cian McLarnon, Olly Lowe, Finn Tumman, Jack Johnson, Tom Wood, Will Young, Olly Coyle, Ed Feast, Mike Pinder, Wes Kinning, Glyn Bates, Ben Mitchell, Matt Grinney.
