Spalding 21 Southwell 17: Counties 1 Midlands East (North) match report

Spalding edged out Southwell 21-17 to collect their first Counties 1 Midlands East (North) victory on Saturday.

Although this was only Spalding’s third league game, it had become a ‘must-win’ following defeats to the two University teams who already sit top, while Spalding and visitors Southwell were lying at the other end of the table.

With a new front row of Connor Broome (the 1923’s captain) and Elliot Humphreys making his first start at hooker and Henry Hobson slotting in at lock, Southwell kicked off into a strong wind and within the opening minutes captain and fly half Willis Ingleby was kicking deep for a 50/20 giving Spalding lineout possession, but the advantage was wasted.

The game settled down with Southwell keeping the ball in their forwards and gaining yardage with their carries, but flankers Will Shields and Jack Lambe were challenging at every breakdown. With 11 minutes on the clock, number eight Jack Grundy made a break from 20 metres out. Tackles came in but he forced his way through to score under the posts and, with a simple conversion, Spalding were seven points up.

Within minutes Southwell hit back, with their backs making a break to catch the Spalding defence cold by scoring a try from the halfway line, but the conversion rattled the crossbar and bounced back out.

Southwell forwards were giving Spalding something to think about at the scrums but scrum-half Jim Wraith was still managing to whip the ball out with his long passes and a backs move gave space for Henry Duce on the left wing to run in and with a superb conversion, against the wind, Spalding had a nine-point lead.

Spalding’s Hobson then received a yellow card and shortly after the defence switched off, leaving Southwell’s inside centre to run straight through under the posts. With a simple conversion, the visitors turned around at half-time only two points adrift with the advantage of a strong wind behind them.

But it was not a good start for the visitors as the kick-off went dead giving Spalding a scrum and for the first quarter of the second half Spalding applied themselves to the task of retaining possession. When defending, centres Sam Booth and Ryan Firth were cutting down their opposite numbers.

Injures and fresh legs needed meant George Douglas replaced Hobson, Gav Sharman replaced Firth and Tom Moxon replaced Grundy. Spalding were helped as Southwell received a yellow card for a deliberate knock on as Spalding attacked the visitors try line.

The decisive moment of the game came with 10 minutes remaining and was launched by Ingleby setting his backs running at pace. Full-back Ollie Machin sliced through Southwell’s defence and set Sharman free, who then passed back to Machin and then a return pass back out to Sharman, set up an unchallenged run in behind the posts for a superb try. With an Ingleby conversion, Spalding were nine points up with just minutes to go.

However, Southwell came back and with time nearly up they scored wide on the right. The conversion was missed and Spalding had secured their first league win.

Spalding: Broome, Humphries, Parker, Hobson, Templer, Lambe, Will Shields, Grundy, Wraith, Ingleby, Ben Shields, Booth, Firth, Duce, Machin. Subs: Douglas, Moxon, Sharman.

Spalding’s second string had an excellent 54-19 win against merit table rivals Lincoln 3rds in windy conditions on Saturday.

Superb elusive running from fly half Charlie Beecham saw him run in three tries, converting two of his own tries while adding the extra points to tries from Ben Bettinson, Ash Anker, Bailey Hudson, Harry Dean Allen and Ollie Sorrel with veteran Chris Crane arguably Spalding’s man-of-the-match.