Scunthorpe 25 pts Hereford 6

HEREFORD were delay-ed by heavy traffic and arrived only 10 minutes before the scheduled kick-off for their last Midlands 1 match of the season at Scunthorpe.

Without seven of the players from their North Midlands Cup semi-final winning team, absent through injury and unavailability, Hereford left their form on the bus as they conceded 25 points in the first 20 minutes to crash to defeat.

With no time to warm up, Hereford were caught cold by their high-flying hosts.

A quickly taken lineout after a couple of minutes saw the Scunthorpe forwards drive over for an unconverted corner try. Minutes later the home number eight picked up from the back of a scrum and broke away down the blindside for a second try and this time the conversion found the target.

With the Wyesiders reeling, Scunthorpe extended their lead with two penalties and another converted try. Their forwards drove down the middle, and with the Hereford defence stretched, moved the ball wide for a winger to take advantage of an overlap for a fine try.

To their credit, Hereford sorted themselves out. League debutantes, winger Marcus Billig and prop Mike Lowe, did well and they were helped by former first team squad players flanker Will McQuaid and winger Matt Young as the visitors tightened up their defence and got back into the game.

Unfortunately any comeback was dented when fly-half Jeremy Grisman was sent off for alleged stamping just after the interval.

The depleted Hereford team still took the game to Scunthorpe and a penalty from Finbar Heavens and a dropped goal from Ivan Powell brought some respectability to the final scoreline.

This defeat meant that Hereford finished in eighth position in Midlands 1, some 12 points behind runaway leaders Dudley Kingswinford, Sunday's opponents in the North Midlands Cup final.

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