Penalty count deciding factor in derby game
HRFC undone against South Leicester
HINCKLEY travelled to South Leicester’s Welford Road ground for round 25 in the National League Two North, writes Chris Campbell.
A number of changes were made after last week’s defeat to Tynedale - Luke Coltman returned at hooker after a onematch ban and Matthew Fearn returned to the second row while Glen Murray started in the midfield.
At scrum-half Michael Morris was brought in from the University of Nottingham to cover due to injuries to Glover and Crocker
Hinckley started the game in the best possible way, with a welltimed midfield tackle from Mitch Culpin leaving a loose ball and which Mitch Lamb picked up to run 50 metres to score. Conor Bullivant converted. Throughout the game Hinckley’s issue was the penalty count which ended up being strongly in favour of the home side.
On another day there may have been a yellow card in the first half but back chat on three occasions from the home side led to them seeing a yellow card and their only points of the half being two Ricky Aley penalties.
Hinckley however did go in 12-6 up when probably their best attacking move of the game finished with Lamb handing off two players for his second try.
The second half didn’t start well with a yellow card finally coming out, delivered to Matt Fearn which gave Aley the opportunity to make the score 12-9.
Bullivant soon neutralised this however with a penalty of his own.
But the game then turned in just a few minutes with two South tries - one a very well-taken effort and the other a fluke.
The well-taken effort came from a counter attack down the left hand touchline when the ball went through a number of pairs of South hands.
The fluke came when Aley produced probably one of the worst drop goal efforts of his career, with the ball going closer to the touchline than the posts. However Blane Howe followed up from wide out to hack on and score. Aley converted both tries. Hinckley had a chance for a point when Bullivant pushed a penalty wide with 10 minutes to go, and 23-15 is how the score remained.
The next fixtures is Luctonians at home in two weeks.
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