Last gasp score gives Esher the spoils

24

Birmingham
Moseley

V

31

Esher

Jon Meadows reports

Moseley started proceedings by kicking down the slope. The early exchanges set the tone for the whole match. The hosts would find some promising positions but unable to capitalise through unforced errors. They would dominate at the scrum, but never enough to make it count against the head. On the other hand they never really got to grips with their visitors interchange plays.

The opening score came on seventeen minutes. Camped in the Moseley 5 metres on the left a clever Crossfield kick found Owen Waters who rolled through a covering tackle to touch down, Sam Morley missing the kick. Moseley were soon back on level terms, Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley finishing a fine team move in the right corner, Thomas Taylor pushing the ball to the left of the posts.

Maxwell – Whitley was on hand again to finish some good work by the forwards on the left hand side, Taylor this time successful. It was not long before Samuel George Westmacott would finish another fine move, this time for the visitors, Morley completing the first half scoring at twelve points each.

The second half would continue in much the same vein. Both teams working hard with little reward, it would take until the tenth minute for the first real opportunity to arise. Following a sustained period of passing the ball around Esher found an overlap, full back Harry Faulkner with the score, Morley missing once more.

Back came Moseley, a chip and chase from Freddie Painter forced the visitors to take the ball dead and a goal line drop out. Back came the hosts to win a penalty, kicked to touch to within 7 metres, the throw safely gathered for Morgan Dawes to crash through just short, Ethan Priest on hand to finish off and Taylor with the extras.

Tom Spires came off the bench for the visitors and ran through a porous defence, Morley’s kick giving them a five point lead. With just five minutes left Dan Brough finished a calculated chip through to bring the scores level once more, a tricky conversion missed. Moseley had their opportunities, but with the clock showing red a fortuitous play saw Esher get the ball to the goal line, Connor Ganley crashing through giving Morley the simplest of kicks and the final whistle.