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oldcorn
Moderator
United Kingdom
633 Posts |
 Posted - 10 September 2007 : 22:04:49
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Report from Ampthill website - not a bit "one-eyed" 
Ampthill welcomed a delayed Derby to Dillingham Park on a dry, warm but overcast afternoon offering perfect playing conditions for their tough first fixture on their return to Midlands 2 East. The A's squad saw the return of some players missing for the pre-season and the debut of centre JJ Raven.
Ampthill made a mess of the Derby kick off and the ensuing blast on the referees whistle was the first of what became a seemingly endless series of interuptions in play!
The A's scrum began solidly, eventually securing ball six times against the head, it would have been more but for the regular whistle. The lineout functioned much better than against Bletchley to the point that Derby soon resorted to shortening the line in order to secure good ball, however, they had little success in their attempts to use it either in the forwards or the backs largely depending on Ampthill errors and infringements allowing their fly half to gain ground with intelligent kicking from hand.
After 19 mins the A's were caught offside at a ruck and the visitors fullback converted a 35m penalty from in front of the posts followed just 5 min later by another successful penalty goal after Ampthill's openside was penalised and yellow carded for an infrigement at a breakdown.
On 28 mins the A's fly half Daniel Bell converted a 25m penalty from in front of the posts. From the kickoff Ampthill were penalised again but this time the Derby full back missed the 35m chance. Despite the referee beginning to lose patience with the constant infringements from both sides he reversed an A's 25m penalty having seen feet being used to remove the visitors flanker from the wrong side at a ruck.
On 39 mins an Ampthill handling move broke down, Derby kicked ahead and were awarded a try despite everyone present seeing a knock on in the build up except the referee. The visitors full back having made no mistake with the conversion there was still time for the Derby No. 8 to receive a yellow card when caught on the wrong side, again, at a ruck.
Turning round 6-13 behind the A's pressed trying to take advantage of their extra man and Derby's defense became more desperate resulting in a second yellow card for the visitors, this time for a prop. On 48 mins No. 8 Phil Lane scored a push over try for Ampthill after a 5m scrum converted by Daniel Bell. With their No. 8 back on the pitch the visitors then successfully defended another 5m scrum. On 53 mins Derby missed a 48m penalty chance before converting another on 61 mins.
Ampthill threw everything at the visitors for the last 20 mins but were unable to trouble the scoreboard despite crossing the line three times when they were apparently held up until the last minute when scrum half John Lasbrey picked up from a ruck, showed strength to keep on his feet before being driven over the line for the A's second try half way between the posts and touch.
The small matter of the conversion remained, not only was this a kick to win the game but it brought added pressure since it was Daniel Bell's last touch of the ball for Ampthill for a while as he leaves for Bahrain for a year next week. I don't think he cared that it wasn't the most elegant of kicks because the roar from the A's touchline as it went between the posts could probably have been heard in Derby!
The A's face Hinckley, who drew with relegated Market Bosworth next week at Dillingham Park
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Ampthill game
