Market Bosworth stunned by bottom of the table Casuals
NORTHAMPTON CASUALS 13 MARKET BOSWORTH 8
THIS was the first of two consecutive trips to Northampton for Market Bosworth, this one against the team at the bottom of the league, who had not won a game all season.
Celebrating their 100th year as a club with a big event in the evening Casuals pulled out all the stops to make it a real celebration.
From the kick off Bosworth advanced into the Casuals twenty-two only for the referee to spot a knock on from where the play returned to the half way. Play continued to move back into the Casuals half where Bosworth’s winger, Harry Smart, was able to run in a neat try in the corner, but too far out for the kicker to convert. It looked as though this was going to be another high scoring game, up in the fifties like the previous week but it was not to be.
The referee penalised Bosworth for several offences, going in at the side, not rolling away etc. getting the home side near enough to slot a kick over the cross bar to start their tally of points. The strong northerly wind blowing the length of the pitch played its part in keeping the ball in the Casuals half of the pitch and with the freezing temperature it made for difficult playing conditions.
Several knock-ons and a kick for the corner that went too far eventually got Bosworth a kicking opportunity in-front of the posts when Casuals were judged by the referee to have been off side. Joe Randon made short work of the opportunity in adding the three points. From the restart Casuals wasted no time when they secured possession from an ensuing line out and their centre ran in an excellent try under the posts, converted by the full back, giving the home side a two-point lead. The game became very disjointed from that point, no doubt caused by the weather conditions. Casuals appeared to have scored a second try when, having won a scrum in the Bosworth twenty-two their scrum half dived over with ball only for the referee to disallow it. The game then moved to the other end of the field only for it to be stopped for a lengthy period when an ankle injury to Bosworth skipper Harry Milner, forced him to be replaced by Guy Goodman who went on at scrum half with Tom Hilyer moving into the centre.
The game continued until half time without any further score. The second half started with Bosworth using the wind well and getting to within ten metres of the Casuals’ line only for them to yet again knock-on and let Casuals clear to the half way.
The home side eventually worked their way to the Bosworth line where they lost the line out and Bosworth were able to clear their line this time.
The referee was having a field day awarding scrums for all sorts of errors by both sides and giving lengthy lectures to explain his decisions.
In their effort to defend their line from a rolling maul Bosworth were penalised for pulling it down giving the Casuals kicker the opportunity to add three more points to their score. The game from this point just developed into a series of errors by both sides being unable to cope with the conditions with the referee awarding scrums and kicks one after another but neither side able to take any advantage from them. Bosworth did put in a sustained effort to regain the lead with numerous incursions into the Casuals twenty-two but a rock-solid defence backed by the occasion helped them secure the victory and just a bonus point for Market Bosworth.
This Saturday sees Market Bosworth back in Northampton for a visit to Old Scouts just down the road from Casuals.