Try hungry hooker’s snatch Cinderford win.
Cinderford gave their supporters an early Xmas present, ending a run of three defeats, as they eventually ran away with the victory after a slow start against Birmingham Moseley in an intense back and forth battle. Home team hookers Nathan Taylor and Jack Preece stealing the show, scoring the four tries between them.
Cinderford started strongly in a match that also saw home favourite George Evans making his 300th appearance, as Moseley conceded the first six penalties. However, a chance arose for Moseley as fly-half, Allsopp, intercepted the ball in his own 22 and kicked to his attacking half, but Cinderford’s Will Hendy beat him to the ball and the danger was cleared. A seventh penalty against Birmingham meant a yellow card for number 8, Aled Ward. Cinderford took the chance to go for the posts, but Boughton narrowly missed.
In a turn of events, Cinderford conceded their first penalty and Moseley’s fly-half Allsopp claimed a 3-point lead for Birmingham. Moments later, the away side suffered a crucial blow as team skipper Will Safe, went off with a knee injury. After nearly 40 minutes of continuous determination from both sides, Cinderford’s Nathan Taylor scored a long awaited try as he grounded the ball out the back of a driving maul. A tricky corner conversion proved no problem for fly half Reece Boughton.
Shortly after, Moseley fought back as their centre Isaac McNulty spotted a gap in Cinderford’s defence and took a successful dive to the line, the conversion from Allsopp left the half time score at a nail biting 7-10.
The away team kicked off the second half with another 3 points as Allsopp scored a penalty. However, a second Cinderford try for Taylor followed, in a near identical team drive to the line, as well as another successful conversion from Boughton.
Cinderford continued to attack as a chance arose for replacement winger, Reece Dunn, who shot down the touchline, narrowly missing out as he was tackled into touch just inches from the line.
It was all Cinderford in the closing stages and replacement hooker Jack Preece followed in Taylor’s footsteps as he snatched the ball from the line out and snuck out the back of a classic Cinderford maul, putting them in a strong 21-13 lead.
Preece worked his magic a second time, stealing the bonus point for Cinderford as they drove the ball over the line for their fourth and bonus point score.
The victory puts Cinderford back into second place in the National One table.