The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Borough still have a big game at Bedford to look forward to
Borough finished their league season with another comfortable win and a final placing of fourth in Midlands Division One.
With a juicy East Midlands Cup final against Bedford Athletic still to come, coach Phil Powell used Saturday’s last league match of the season at Northampton Old Scouts to take a look at some of his fringe players.
And several of them did well in the 38-22 win to force themselves into the reckoning for the big game at Bedford Blues’ Goldington Road ground on Tuesday April 30.
Borough produced their best rugby in the first half and turned round with a 33-0 advantage thanks to tries by Chris Sykes, debutant Tom McClure, Ross Chamberlain, Rob Mould and Joe Andresen.
Outstanding fly-half Andresen, who ran the show for Borough in the first half, sprinted in for his try from 40 metres out.
In the second half Borough made several changes and their game became very disjointed. That allowed a spirited Old Scouts to score four tries before Ryan Morris went over for Borough towards the end.
Oundle ended their Midlands Division One season with a hard-earned 29-22 win at Old Northamptonians to secure a fifth-place finish just behind Borough.
Stamford missed out on the promotion play-offs by the narrowest of margins on the final day of the Midlands Division Three East (South) season.
They ran out 36-19 winners at Birstall in head coach Matt Albinson’s final league game at the helm, but results elsewhere confirmed a third place finish for Stamford.
They needed league leaders Northampton Casuals to beat Leicester Forest in their table-topping tussle to snatch second spot.
But unfortunately Forest clinched the title with a 53-21 success and Casuals claimed second spot ahead of Stamford by virtue of winning one more game.
In the same division there was a whopping 73-7 win for Bourne against St Neots. Captain and number eight Tom Dixon crossed for three of Bourne’s 11 tries - eight of which were converted by ace goal-kicker Sam Evison.
Spalding finished in third place in Midlands Division Three East (North) following a 48-34 win at Bakewell Mannerians. Gav Sharman squeezed over in the corner in the last minute for his 25th try of the season.
Peterborough Lions still have one game remaining in National League Two (North).
They were well beaten 6835 by Tynedale in their final home fixture at Bretton on Saturday.
Both teams were missing several players through injury but Tynedale had the luxury of calling on the neighbouring Newcastle Falcons Academy for replacements including the son of former England star Dean Richards.
Tynedale were a different class before the break which they reached 49-0 ahead, but Lions won the second half thanks to tries from Nico Defeo (2), Tom Gulland, Christian Edbrooke and Allen Carr. The visitors eventually ran in 10 tries.
The Lions have won four and lost 24 matches in a chastening campaign. They will ship over 1,000 points if they concede 14 in their final fixture at Wharfdale on April 27. The city side are 14 points adrift at the foot of the table which is a fair reflection of their struggles in a first season as a National League club.
Midlands Division Two East (South) Huntingdon ............................................... 17 Olney ........................................................ 33
Midlands Division Three East (South) Birstall ....................................................... 19 Stamford .................................................. 36
Bourne (tries: Harby, H. Thornburn, S. Thornburn 2, Dixon 3, Lynch, Berry, Binns 2. cons: Evison 9) ........................................... 73 St Neots ....................................................... 7
Midlands Division Three East (North) Bakewell Mannerians .............................. 34 Spalding (tries: Adams 2, W. Shields 2, Forrest, Sharman. cons: Mason 6. pens: Mason 2) ................................................... 48
Midlands Division Four East (South) Deepings .................................................. 29 Stamford College Old Boys ......................... 0
Brackley ................................................... 69 Thorney .................................................... 10