Wellingborough 27 - 3 Old Scouts

Wellingborough overcame the extremely windy conditions better than their visitors to come out on top of this hard fought game.  Going against the wind in the first half the home side were pinned in their own half for most of the time, spending a great deal of it in their own 22.  Their defence and discipline held and the only transgression was a penalty for going over the top in a ruck which Old Scouts converted.

Turning round at 3-0 down the home side's game plan was always going to be to gain territory through kicking ahead and this Peter Vickers did from the start.  From almost the first ruck deep in the Scouts 22 the ball was recycled quickly to allow Karl MacAndrew to go over in the corner.  Peter Vickers defied the wind and kicked a huge conversion.

Before long the visitors were under pressure again and after a 22 drop out, the ball was worked to Steven Gall who placed a telling grubber kick through for Dominic Smart to beat the defence to it for the next try.

Old Scouts were battling hard and it took some stirling work from Boro's forwards, with Nick Murphy and Matt Birke leading the way, to repel their efforts.  After another Scouts kick ahead, half time replacement Kyle Danns picked up a loose ball and burst through to score from 25 metres out.  The conversion was again missed in the difficult conditions.

Old Scouts never gave up and occasionally worked their way up into the home side's half but Dudley Cross' high tackle count along with many others kept them at bay.  From a long kick ahead by Scouts, Karl MacAndrew gathered at full pace and set off to outstrip the whole defence and score a try from fully 60 metres. Pete Vickers obliged with a conversion from out wide.

Old Scouts again came back and forced their way up to the home side's goal line but again the defence held out in an heroic effort.  Boro' got back to half way which prompted Peter Vickers to take the initiative and drop a goal which sailed over in the wind from the middle of a crowded field to effectively seal the game at 27 -3.

Higgins man of the match: Matt Birke