Poor Halesonians get 90-point mauling

Midlands Premier

PETERBOROUGH Lions ran riot against bottom side Old Halesonians while Birmingham and Solihull Bees edged the top-of-the-table clash with Newport Salop by a single point.

Old Halesonians have had a wretched campaign so far, winless in their eight previous fixtures, and were ruthlessly dispatched by a Lions side in a 90-0 thumping, the highest score racked up so far in the division this season.

They remain four points off top spot, however, as Birmingham and Solihull maintained their 100 per cent records, they were pushed all the way by Newport Salop, the Bees holding on to a 23-22 victory.

Early tries from Umraan Jadwatt and Nathan Tisley saw them in control, but three Newport penalties saw them go into half-time with only a 12-9 deficit.

Tawdanda Chipadze’s try, following a penalty, allowed the Bees to stretch their lead to 11 but Newport kept chipping away with two further penalties before Jack Jolly responded to move Bees two scores clear.

And that would prove crucial as, with time ticking down, Newport finally broke through for their first try of the game. The successful conversion proved the final play.

Bournville were also winners by a single point as they inched past Newbold

on Avon 22-21 while Sandbach remain fourth after they recorded their fifth successive win, beating Nuneaton 15-12 in another tight encounter.

Doncaster Phoenix are a point behind in fifth as they overturned a first-half deficit to win at home to

Scunthorpe 36-17. The visitors went in 12-10 ahea, but a second-half surge allowed Doncaster to claim the bonus point victory. Derby ran in seven tries as they were 42-17 winners away at Lichfield. The sides traded early tries but three further scores enabled Derby to secure the bonus point before halftime, leading 27-7.

Lichfield crossed soon after the break but Derby were soon back in control to prevent any comeback, another trio of tries following.

The day’s remaining game saw Bridgnorth win 23-0 at Longton, with the hosts unable to get on the board and slipping to second bottom.