Derby-day joy for Turner as A’s edge past barve Stotford
WHEN it comes to clashes with local rivals, the result is all that matters, so Ampthill coach Paul Turner was happy to take the bragging rights after a tight win over Bishop’s Stortford.
Games between these two sides are usually close, competitive affairs and this one was no exception.
Sam Baker’s try and a James Pritchard penalty were the only scores of the first half, and while Ryan Hutler got Stortford back in the contest, Baker’s second, again converted by Pritchard, made it 17-5 heading into the last five minutes.
A Gavin Williams score then effectively sealed the win, and although Stortford had the final say with at ry from James Apperley, Turner was thrilled to have come away with victory.
He said: “It was a good win against tough local rivals who have shown in their first season in National One that they are a force to be reckoned with.
“They have a large group of good young players who are well coached.
“There are positives we can take despite potentially leaving a four-try bonus point on the field.”
A’s had the better of the opening exchanges culminating in the 12th minute with a fine try scored by wing Baker wide on the left after a series of forward phases on the opposite flank had created space.
Full-back James Pritchard added the extras from five metres in from the touch-line.
It took 22 minutes for the hosts to extend their lead through a Pritchard penalty from in front of the posts after Stortford had been penalised at a breakdown.
In between, the home side had the better of territory and possession but failed to capitalise. The setpiece was pretty even all game but the A’s back row stood out in the loose with man-of-the-match blindside flanker Will Allman at the heart of everything.
The disappointment of seeing home lock Billy Johnson leaving the field with injury was tempered with the pleasure of seeing flanker Syd Blackmore return from a three-month injury break.
The second half began
with the home side leading 10-0 but the visitors showed more ambition, making ground in midfield and taking advantage of Ampthill’s ill-discipline to maintain pressure through field position.
The 49th minute saw them score an unconverted try wide on the right after patient pressure in the red zone finally drew an error from Amps defence, wing Hutler crossing.
A’s took just six minutes to respond with Baker dotting down wide on the left after a cross-field kick from fly-half Lawrence Rayner put him one on one with the last defender, Pritchard nailing the touchline conversion.
Stortford then lost back row Dan Leo who was sent for an early bath after the referee had consulted with his assistant following an incident at a lineout inside the Bishop’s Stortford 22.
The hosts finally broke the stalemate on 76 minutes when replacement scrum-half Williams broke blind from a ruck and skipped over but despite being down to 14, Stortford had the final say as Apperley crossed from a maul.