Fourths on roll for Ashbourne

ASHBOURNE Rugby Club’s fourths are on a roll, a fifth win in a row on Saturday making them the only team within the club still with a 100% record this season.

They won 25-15 away to Wolverhampton thirds in a friendly after having their Security Plus Pennant Group 4 North League match against Chesterfield Panthers seconds called off – the third week in succession that the opposition have cried off without being able to raise a side.

Ashbourne started the game slowly, not doing anything especially wrong, but not making any headway up a slope and against the wind.

Ashbourne were 8–3 down at halftime, the points coming from the boot of scrum-half Jason Rowland.

The Ashbourne pack were immoveable in the scrums, with the front row of Ben Woodruffe, captain Robyn Wright and Dan Galvin winning ball against the head.

The second row of Wayne Moore and Ben Wildgoose made a good pairing and with Ian Jones controlling the ball for Rowland the Ashbourne forwards started to deliver clean ball for the backs.

The line-out also began to work better in the second half, with Wildgoose taking some clean ball to allow for some decent driving mauls from the front of the line with Woodruffe at the heart of them.

Fly-half Johnny Birkett rolled back the years and had a fine game at 10, controlling and pushing Wolverhampton back into their own half.

Young Will Gardner also had a good game, with some crunching tackles and strong carries from inside centre.

Eventually, Ashbourne were rewarded for their efforts with a try from outside centre Nat Fryer.

Rowland added the conversion to put them in front.

A second try followed from Jim Slater, who burst past at least four tackles to cross the line.

Fryer touched down again after a decent break and might have had a hat-trick but he misjudged the depth of the in-goal area, running the ball dead.

Rowland added to the advantage with another penalty.

Full-back Roger Glithero, the oldest man on the pitch, had a good game, cleaning up any ball sent his way.

Wolverhampton scored a late try and conversion but it was not enough to change the result.

Slater was man of the match.

The fourths will hope to get a league game played at the weekend, when they visit Derby thirds.

FOURTHS: Woodruffe, Wright, Galvin, Moore, Wildgoose, Slater, Rushton, Jones, Rowland, Birkett, Monteiff, Gardner, Fryer, Godfrey, Glithero.