Promoted Kesteven Rugby Club are beaten by Manor Park

Kesteven were sent to defeat by a late Manor Park try on their Counties 1 Midlands East (North) debut on Saturday.

The K's went down to a 28-26 reversal after a hard-fought match in what was their first encounter with the club from near Nuneaton who finished high in the league last season.

Manor Park opened the scoring with two early tries, quickly putting Kesteven on the back foot.

Kesteven's first response came through Will Walker, who crossed the line, with Henry Parker adding the conversion.

However, Manor Park continued their momentum with another try, keeping Kesteven at a distance.

Despite this, Kesteven remained resilient, with Ben Taylor adding a second try, though the conversion was missed.

Manor Park then scored again, but Kesteven’s Sam Gilbert kept the visitors in the game with two tries of his own.

Henry Parker converted both, bringing Kesteven within touching distance.

Gilbert's second try was particularly impressive, as he chipped the ball over his opposing winger, caught it himself, and powered over the line.

Manor Park, however, sealed the victory with a converted try in the last play of the game.

Despite the loss, Kesteven earned two crucial bonus points—one for scoring four tries and another for keeping the margin under seven points.

Gilbert was named man of the match for his outstanding contribution and the team's overall performance showed they can compete at this level, a promising sign as they adapt to life at a higher level.

They host Nottingham Moderns at Woodnook on Saturday with their visitors having made a winning start at the weekend in a 19-17 victory over Hinckley.

Kesteven: Rob Sheardown, Joe Dickinson, Gav Purvis, James Cowley (captain), Harry Norsworthy, Ben Taylor, Dan Turner, Sam Burgess, Will Walker, Henry Parker, Will Young, Conor Stewart, James Goodrich, Sam Gilbert, Harry Clough, Ben Hall, Scott Odams, Jack Palin.