Rugby Union
Poor performance punished

Coventrians 34 Claverdon 10

A POOR performance sentenced Claverdon to a disappointing Midlands Four West (South) defeat at unbeaten Coventrians on Saturday.

Conditions were perfect but the visitors simply did not show up for most of the first half and they fell behind inside ten minutes to a well worked forwards try which was converted from out wide.

Claverdon could not get into their stride and were penalised time after time with some decisions seeming very harsh.

The constant infringing led the referee to sin bin second row Chris Glover for entering at the side and the resultant penalty was slotted comfortably to give the hosts a ten point lead.

A clearance was then collected by the Coventrians full back who found a gap in the Claverdon defence to dart in under the posts for a converted try.

The game then turned from bad to worse as the Lions again tried to clear their lines. A dropped pass over the try line was seemingly touched down by full back Rob Horsfall but when the Coventrians player dived on it the referee decided it was a try, much to the astonishment of the visitors.

In a half that was best to forget, captain Conor Smith was sent to the bin for ten minutes for stopping a quick tap penalty, while a Doz Ward penalty miss in front of the posts summed up a miserable half.

The second half started slightly brighter for Claverdon who reduced the arrears with a Ward penalty.

Normal service quickly resumed as Coventrians recorded their fourth and bonus point try in the corner which was again converted.

Although Claverdon rallied the hosts were next to score with a backs move ending with a try in the corner.

Claverdon enjoyed their best spell in the closing five minutes as strong running from both forwards and backs saw them within ten metres of the Coventrians try line.

A powerful surge from Paul Carruthers was held up just short but a quick pass from scrum half Mike Jay found substitute centre Jon Allen who scored out wide. Ward converted from a tight angle to restore a little bit of pride for the lions.

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