Floodlight woes continue for Market Bosworth

FOR the third time this season, on Thursday night, Market Bosworth played under floodlights and found it as disappointing as the previous two.

This was the semi final of the Leicestershire County Cup at home to Belgrave, played in conditions more suitable for water polo.

Both teams, however, provided the large crowd with plenty to cheer about in the way the players were able to handle the ball in the extreme conditions.

After fifteen minutes of excellent play from Bosworth the play moved to within five metres of the Belgrave line.

A line out and a couple of scrums won by Bosworth eventually saw James Driver dive over to open the scoring. The conversion was missed. It was then Belgrave’s turn to put the pressure on but they failed to cross the Bosworth line, however the referee decided to award them a penalty try due to a Bosworth player having been judged to have tackled a player without the ball and so preventing him from receiving a pass from which he may have scored.

The culprit was yellow carded but during the next ten minutes Belgrave were unable to take any points advantage.

As the half time whistle approached the referee spotted a dangerous tackle on a Bosworth player resulting in three points from the boot of Joe Randon.

The half time score, Market Bosworth 8 Belgrave 7.

The second half continued to provide some excellent rugby from both sides considering the continuous rain was making the playing surface like an ice rink.

Unfortunately for Bosworth when they won their own scrum defending the line the ball was heeled out at speed to let a Belgrave player dive on it as it crossed the line. The conversion was successful.

Within minutes Belgrave put in a low bouncing kick to the Bosworth fullback who knocked it forward just in front of his own posts.

The resulting scrum was won by Belgrave and with their weight advantage pushed forward until they were near enough for another dive over try and subsequent conversion.

The referee issued another yellow card to a Bosworth player again for tackling a player without the ball but Belgrave again could not take any points advantage during the player’s absence.

Bosworth, playing their hearts out right to the end, were rewarded with a consolation try in the final minutes of the game when Aaron Willis went over for a try. The conversion brought the deficit to six points. The final score was Market Bosworth 15 Belgrave 21 which took Belgrave into the final to be played at Welford Road in early May.