HEREFORD 13 - 16 DIXONIANS

Wyeside, 12th October 2002

A PENALTY in the dying minutes condemned Hereford to their first defeat of the season in the Powergen Midlands 2 West after a four-match winning start.

Dixonians came with a game plan against the division's highest points scorers and their spoiling tactics unsettled the home team.

A solid front row slowed down play and the Hereford youngsters were prevented from continuing the expansive, running game they now favour, resulting in some frustration and ill-discipline.

The Birmingham visitors, who had previously won only one other game, escaped the referee's attention on several occasions and won with two tries and two penalties to Hereford's two tries and one penalty.

Hereford trailed 8-5 at half-time but drew level 13-13 four minutes from normal time before conceding the decisive penalty for a high tackle after concerted Dixonians pressure on the home line. Centre Dicken Best slotted over his kick from close range to end a scrappy encounter in which a player from each side was yellow carded.

It was Best who kicked Dixonians into a ninth-minute lead with a penalty and Hereford full-back Colin Osborne was unlucky when his attempt to reply struck the outside of a post two minutes later.

A fracas - one of several which punctuated the game - was followed by Hereford winning a ruck to send the ball along the threequarter line for winger Sam Walker to go over in the right-hand corner after 25 minutes. Osborne's touchline conversion attempt went just wide.

Three minutes later Hereford's other winger, Des White, was sin-binned after retaliating to a kick, and Dixonians quickly made their numbers count when right-wing Mark Kelly collected a kindly bounce from full-back Paul Sullivan's kick ahead to touch down in the corner. This time it was Best's kick which bounced off a post.

Dixonians again applied pressure from the start of the second half when Hereford lost shape to their game, but the home side drew level in the 48th minute with an Osborne penalty.

Dixonians flanker Mark Davidson was sent to the sin bin in the 59th minute but while he was off the field the visitors took a 13-8 lead with a corner try from centre Damien Webb after a terrific break from his own half by full-back Sullivan.

Hereford's reply did not come until after Davidson had returned to the fray and then a tap-penalty move put White away to score from a good run to the right-hand corner.

Osborne missed the difficult conversion and, with injury-time approa-ching, Best kicked Dixonians' winning penalty on a disappointing day for the Wyesiders.