Spalding Rugby Club beat Luton in Counties 2 Midlands East (South)
After suffering their first defeat of the season last week at league leaders Daventry, Spalding got back to winning ways on Saturday after beating Luton by the narrowest of margins.
Having dominated almost all of the first half, Luton mounted a fightback after the break with Spalding winning by just the one point after another entertaining and tense game in front of a good crowd.
Fielding a familiar line-up, with Macaley Crane in at lock replacing Jordan Templer being the only change from last week, they took to the field in confident mood.
However, after a poor start to Luton’s season, including Spalding winning at their ground, they had strung together four wins from the last six games and were now lying mid-table in Counties 2 Midlands East (South).
Spalding could not have wished for a better start as, after just two minutes of play and on the attack, lock Ash Piccaver scored out wide with a forceful run for an unconverted try that put five points on the scoreboard.
Despite this setback, Luton - with a good set scrum matching Spalding and their fly half with a good kick for field position - nearly drew level but knocked on while nearly over the try line.
With a quarter-of-an-hour of play gone, from a ruck on the halfway line, scrum half Will Shields released a good pass to fly half Conall Mason.
Seeing no cover defence out wide behind Luton’s right wing, a well-placed kick saw left wing Gav Sharman race through, gathering the ball and touching down near the posts with Mason converting.
A further five minutes of play had passed before Sharman scored another try.
Centres Jack Patrick and James Luto were finding space as Spalding were spreading the ball out along the backs.
Full-back Callum Lewis joined in and released Sharman with a good pass and, outstripping the defence with his pace, Luton had conceded a further try.
Young flanker Ed Williams then fell awkwardly onto his shoulder and was replaced by George Brown who was back from injury.
Ten minutes later, blind-side flanker George Douglas - having performed well in the line-out and showed his pace around the field - landed badly on his ankle having won another line-out ball and was forced to leave the field.
The disruptions did not affect Spalding with captain Luke Turner producing some big carries, ably supported by Miguel Da Silva and Ash Anker drawing a kickable penalty which Mason put just wide.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Luton's scrum half forced his way over the try line in the corner to make it 17-5 at the break.
The late first half try by Luton had lifted their spirits and, within a couple of minutes of the second half from a line-out, their forwards had rumbled over the try line and with a good conversion the gap had closed to five points.
Sharman thought he had scored in the corner as he dived to touch down, but a knee was in touch, resulting in a five-metre line-out to Luton.
The visitors were struggling to escape their twenty two with Spalding’s defensive organisation pinning them back.
Mason again saw space behind Luton’s backs and, with a high kick landing just before the try line, both Sharman and Luto were putting in a tackle and driving the Luton player back.
All of a sudden there was a big fracas involving players from both sides and, when it all calmed down, the referee awarded a try to Sharman.
The game then appeared to swing towards Luton with them scoring a converted try and being only three points adrift.
Spalding were hanging onto their lead with the visitors using their forwards well to retain possession and gain territory.
But it was Spalding’s backs who created space for full-back Callum Lewis to touch down in the right corner with just four minutes remaining.
From the kick-off, Luton had Spalding under pressure, forcing some desperate defence on their try line with a series of rucks and finally the visitors were over.
With a good conversion, Spalding had edged home by one point but had secured a bonus point win with five tries.
It keeps them in second spot in the table, six points behind unbeaten leaders Daventry, ahead of Saturday's trip to Melton Mowbray.
Spalding: Ash Anker, Miguel Da Silva, Luke Turner, Macauley Crane, Ash Piccaver, George Douglas, Ed Williams, Sam Noble, Will Shields, Conall Mason, Ben Shields, James Luto, Jack Patrick, Gav Sharman, Callum Lewis. Subs: George Brown, Richard Stephenson.