Luctonians’ revival halted by leaders (From Hereford Times)

Luctonians’ revival halted by leaders

8:43am Friday 6th November 2009

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LEAGUE titles are not won by November but bookmakers must already be shortening the odds on Ampthill clinching the National 3 Midlands crown.

Pacesetters Ampthill are top of the table with eight victories from nine matches since their promotion from Midlands 2 East last season.

Former Worcester Warriors’ head coach Clive Griffiths and ex-Wales prop Stuart Evans are among the Bedfordshire club’s impressive set of coaches. Mark Jones, who won 15 caps for Wales, plays in the second row and Ampthill are skippered by ex-Llanelli, Gloucester and Northampton Saints prop Simon Emms. Luctonians stood up bravely to Ampthill’s giant pack last Saturday and will feel aggrieved that the final score-line does not reflect their spirited second-half rally.

Ampthill head coach Evans afterwards paid tribute to Luctonians, saying the Mortimer Park men were the best side they had played this season.

Trailing 22-3 after 54 minutes, Luctonians staged a fight-back instigated by Ollie Williams after he reverted to scrum-half.

The energetic Williams promptly touched down and then Trevor Bufton was only an arm’s length away from getting on the end of a chip-and-chase try.

With Luctonians pushing for a bonus point, Ryan Spence intercepted a Will Hodnett pass and surged from inside his own half to score Ampthill’s final try in the last play of the match.

Earlier, Ampthill started at a lively pace and wasted an overlap in the fifth minute when they knocked on after ex-Llanelli Scarlets full-back Gareth Morris had burst through. The visitors suffered an early blow when loosehead prop Andrew Rees needed lengthy treatment for a suspected rib injury.

The former Neath and Bridgend player was stretchered off and later checked over by paramedics who arrived in an Air Ambulance.

Ampthill continued to dominate and took the lead in the 15th minute when, after a powerful forward drive, scrum-half Kieron Davies touched down and then converted.

Luctonians, who had won their four previous matches, took about 25 minutes to settle and they grew in confidence after a couple of darting runs from winger Pete Smith.

The home side came agonisingly close to scoring a try after a slip from ex-Neath skipper Morris allowed the on-rushing Hodnett to scoop up the ball.

The youngster burst through at pace but lost his footing about five metres from the gaping try-line.

Luctonians were penalised for holding on but the penalty was reversed after an Ampthill indiscretion. Scrum-half Jamie Simpson slotted the simple penalty to cut the visitors’ lead to 7-3.

Crucially, Ampthill responded and scored an excellent try through left-winger Matthew Loon in the 10th minute of stoppage-time. Davies landed the touchline conversion to give the visitors a 14-3 interval advantage.

The second half was only two minutes old when referee Bob McCrudden yellow carded two players.

Anthony Marfell and Ampthill’s Phil Lane were sin-binned after interfering at the breakdown. But Simpson, who was an innocent party, came off the worst. Simpson was poleaxed by a flailing arm from Lane which was intended for Marfell.

The boot of Davies extended Ampthill’s lead in the 49th minute and then, five minutes later, the powerful Morris blasted through a hole in the Luctonians defence to score.

Luctonians must have feared the worst at this stage but they replaced Simpson with Ed Godsall, who moved to full-back, and switched Williams to scrum-half. The changes immediately paid off because Steve Jaques offloaded to Williams who sold a dummy before racing 30 metres to the try line. Hodnett added the conversion and then the Luctonians forwards dominated the next 20 minutes against a side who lost replacement scrum-half Shaun Lewis to the sin-bin. Only strong defending from the visitors kept out the hosts.

Ampthill clinched maximum bonus points when, against the run of play, centre Spence intercepted a pass to score his side’s fourth try.

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