Luctonians win again in battle at the top

LUCTONIANS gained another important win in the struggle for the Powergen Midlands 1 championship and Walsall now trail the North Herefordshire club by three points with a game in hand.

Luctonians kept level on points with leaders Bedford Athletic, the side they defeated the previous week, while Kettering now trail by just two points with two games in hand - and Luctonians are away to the Northamptonshire side this Saturday.

The match at Mortimer Park was full of commitment but Walsall's complaints at the end about the refereeing led to their coach Darrell Edwards and prop Ian Bradshaw both being red-carded by match official Philip Hilton after the final whistle.

Walsall playing with the wind at their backs dominated for long periods of the first half but Luctonians scored a crucial try just before the break to bring them back into contention.

They had conceded an early score when a loose pass was intercepted and Walsall left-wing Chris Mould who crossed in the corner.

Walsall used the wind judiciously to pen Luctonians in their own 22 and, although the home side defended resolutely, they conceded the occasional penalty and in the 25th minute Walsall full-back Matt Wood stretched his side's lead to eight points.

The wind negated any hopes of Luctonians kicking for position and the home pack were forced to grind out the hard yards up the middle.

The backs did threaten occasionally with wings Andy Garrod and Mark Panniers always a danger but the Walsall back row were a lively unit in both defence and attack with the uncompromising play of number eight Leandro Seco particularly catching the eye.

Luctonians struck just before the half-time whistle. A penalty put them into Walsall territory where fly-half Dan Hinton cut through near the posts for full-back Jeremy Wheadon to convert for his side to turn around only one point adrift.

But Walsall stretched their lead in the 64th minute, again as the result of a Luctonians error. The home side turned over the ball in midfield and a swift Walsall counter-attack saw centre Ben Shepherd cross wide out.

Luctonians hit back immediately, however. Number eight Andrew Morris picked up from the back of a scrum in the Walsall 22 and, when held up on the line, lock Troy Looms appeared at his shoulder to barge over for the decisive try.

A sweetly-struck Wheadon conversion off the touchline put Luctonians in front for the first time and Wheadon increased that lead with a penalty in the final quarter.

Walsall were still within one score of victory and pressed hard, but the Luctonians' defence was in no mood to capitulate and Walsall hampered their own cause with a tendency to question the referee's decisions, a singularly unrewarding pastime.