LEAMINGTON  21 - 29  HEREFORD

Leamington, 15 March 2003

Powergen Midlands 2 West League

Two early penalties gave Leamington a 6-0 lead, before centre Richard Mason ran in a fine individual try after his forwards had made ground with a rolling maul. Full back Colin Osborne's conversion hit the bar, Hereford maintained the pressure on their visitors, took a lineout and put Jerry Grisman away for the hard-working Will McQuaid to go over in the corner. Osborne landed the conversion to give Hereford a 6-12 lead, and winger Des White was unlucky not to score just before half-time.

Leamington missed a penalty at the re-start, but prop Marcus Pask emerged from a pile-up to put the home side back in the game with an unconverted try. With the score at 11-12, Hereford fly-half cleared his line with a 40-metre kick to touch, and a high tackle gave Osborne a simple penalty kick to make it 11-15. With Hereford's two 18-year-old props Ben Hillstead and Harry Jenkins supporting their fellow prop-turned-hooker for the day Shannon Dicke, and birthday boy and skipper Andy Johnson and Ben Adams rampant in the second row, the visitors were rewarded with a lineout to send winger Des White over for an Osborne conversion and a 11-22 lead.

With Hereford dominant, Leamington failed to ground the ball over their own line, and skipper Johnson - having scampered 25 metres in the chase scored a birthday try for Osborne to convert. Ahead 11-29, Hereford had an anxious final 10 minutes when Leamington ran in two unconverted tries, but the visitors emerged deserved winners as the whistle blew for a 21-29 scoreline. The First and Second XVs and Colts take a break this Saturday, March 22, with the Thirds due to entertain Kidderminster at Wyeside, kick-off 3pm. Hereford's next league fixture is at home to Stafford on March 29