Matlock RFC rue missed opportunities in defeat

Harry Boyes scores one of Matlock's tries. Photo by Colin Baker.

Matlock RFC fell to a 27-20 defeat at home to Sutton Coldfield on Saturday.

Matlock made a very strong start and when George Adlington touched down in the opening minutes the home side were surprised and disappointed in equal part as the referee, who had been on the wrong side to see the ball touched down, instead gave the visitors a goal line drop out.

The hosts put this set back behind them and on seven minutes a well-timed pass found Harry Boyd picking a good line to ghost through the defensive line and race through to touchdown under the posts. Tom Morton added the extras for a 7-0 lead.

Matlock continued to have the better of territory and possession and were further rewarded with two penalties taking the score to 13-0 with 35 minutes gone.

Matlock appeared to switch off at this point and let Sutton Coldfield back into the game with two rather soft scores before half-time to pull the score back to 13-12 at half-time.

The second half saw the visitors start brightly and they were held up over the line. The resulting goal line drop out was executed poorly with the ball going only 30 metres out in front of the post to the visitors fly half who dummied and ran unopposed through a poorly organised defensive line to go under the posts much to the dismay of the home support.

Matlock now began to take charge of proceedings again. Three times Matlock pushed the opposition back strongly and three times they collapsed the scrum. The referee eventually tired of this, giving the Sutton Coldfield prop a yellow card and awarding a penalty try to put Matlock in the narrowest of leads 20-19.

Sutton Coldfield were then awarded a penalty for a questionable high tackle, which unfortunately was questioned and the referee marched the home side back another ten metres from where the visitors kicked a successful penalty to retake the lead 20-22.

As time was running out Matlock were now forcing the play and a turnover in midfield led to the visitors breaking away for the final score and the visitors somehow got a victory which for most of the match seemed unlikely and left Matlock ruing a lot of missed opportunities and at times poor decision making.

Matlock go to Nuneaton Old Edwardians on Saturday.