26

Cinderford

V

13

Birmingham
Moseley

Cinderford 26-13 Birmingham Moseley                               by Paul Smith (Sunday Mercury)

Birmingham Moseley produced a battling defensive display in the Forest of Dean before eventually being overpowered by Cinderford’s driving maul.

On the back of Isaac McNulty’s first half try, the visitors trailed by only a point with ten minutes remaining before former Billesley Common favourite Jack Preece tipped the scales with two late touchdowns.

Discipline troubled Moseley throughout, and by winning the first six penalties of the contest Cinderford enjoyed plenty of first-quarter territory and possession.

However, it was the visitors that went closest to breaking the deadlock when Ollie Allsopp intercepted in his own 22 only for covering home full back Mike Wilcox to win the race to his kick ahead.

When Moseley again infringed early in the second quarter referee Harry Walbaum lost patience and despatched on-loan no.8 Aled Ward to the sin bin.

Foresters’ fly half Reece Boughton missed the resulting kick at goal so when his opposite number Allsopp made no mistake from directly in front of the home posts Moseley had the lead just after the half-hour mark.

The loss of influential skipper Will Safe to a knee injury then forced a Moseley reshuffle before home hooker Nathan Taylor went over from a close-range lineout for a try which Boughton upgraded with a fine touchline kick.

However, the visitors hit immediately back when centre McNulty cut a good line to the posts to claim a score which Allsopp converted after a spell of good continuity.

This gave Moseley a three-point interval advantage which Allsopp doubled five minutes after the restart with another simple three-pointer.

As the game approached the hour mark the home front row found favour with referee Walbaum. This enabled Boughton to pin Moseley deep in their own 22 from where his pack drove Taylor over for his second score – which their no.10 again converted.

Although Moseley continued to ship penalties at an alarming rate their defence continued to impress. As a result, Cinderford created very little and when winger Will Baldwin did finally step his way towards the visitors’ line Cinderford infringed on the ground.

But the home side continued to apply pressure and eventually sealed the points a few minutes from time when newly-arrived replacement hooker and former Moseley player-of-the-year Preece claimed their third driving lineout try, again improved by Boughton.

And their win was given an undeserved bonus point gloss when their pack provided a fourth repeat performance from which Preece was driven over for a second close-range touchdown.

Scorers:

Cinderford:

Tries: Taylor (2), Preece (2)

Cons: R.Boughton (3)

Pens:

Birmingham Moseley:

Tries: McNulty

Cons: Allsopp

Pens: Allsopp (2)

Line-Ups:

Cinderford: Wilcox; Baldwin, Forrester, Boulton, Hendy; R.Boughton, Williams; Porter, Taylor, Brockett; Evans, Jerrum; Dancer, Mullis, Hone.

Replacements: J.Boughton, Preece, Angell, Lane, Dunn

Birmingham Moseley: Benjamin; Tonks, Bulumakau, I.McNulty, Pointon; Allsopp, Combes; Foreman, S.McNulty, Langley; Hutchinson, Kiff; Safe, Munro, Ward.

Replacements: Tideswell, Ajayi, Fuller, Johnson, Dight

Referee: Harry Walbaum 

Half-time: Cinderford 7-10 Birmingham Moseley