In what was to prove a very physical and brutal encounter, it was a much-changed starting team due to injuries and availability. The inevitable slight lack of cohesion was exploited by the visitors in creating an overlap after only four minutes, when left winger, Mathew Dight, touched down in the corner. Stand-Off, Tom Holloway did very well to convert. It seemed all set for a free scoring Broadstreet to take control. However, Lewis Hancock kicked two penalties in quick succession to reduce the deficit to a single point. At this early stage an injured Mick Johns was replaced by David Cowell. The big Broadstreet pack had the edge in the scrums and secured their own lineouts. Following a 5-metre lineout from Derby’s line the ball was won and quickly passed to winger, Dight, for his second try, once again superbly converted by Holloway. Approaching half time, Derby’s stalwart centre, Jack Dawson, suffered a bad cut above the eye and was replaced by Juda Simpson. Lewis Hancock kicked his third penalty to narrow the gap to five points and keep Derby spirits on the up.
Two minutes into the second half, tragedy struck when new scrum half, Lockyer “Locky” Philips, suffered a broken wrist. Jake Roome moved to the vacant slot and became a thorn in the side of the visitors. Sam Tebbs moved out to centre and Josh Ridley took over at No. 8. Good passing created half a gap for Patrick Burke who burst through, and his long strides took him past the defenders for a try converted by Hancock to give Derby the lead by two points for the first time in the game. A penalty by Holloway restored Broadstreet’s lead before David Cowell was pushed over by his Derby pack for an unconverted try. Broadstreet struck back when a long pass gave Dight his third try, once again converted by Holloway.
David Cowell returned to replace the injured Juda Simpson and Guy Bowley moved to wing forward. In the last minute of the game, Derby’s pack mounted an all-out attack on the Broadstreet line allowing Tom Antrobus to touch down. Lewis Hancock converted to seal the win from an unbelievable comeback. The post-game euphoria was visible and audible at this fight back to win against the odds.
It is another tough game next week away to Bromsgrove.
Report by: Gerry Sherry
Photos by: Shaun Hardwick
