Evesham Under-16/17 7, Stow 14

EVESHAM put this defeat down to bad luck after dominating the match.

They started well and surprised Stow with continuous pressure and domination in the forwards, preventing Stow from getting the ball and keeping them back on their own 22-metre line.

Evesham were looking good and having won a lineout inside Stow's 22, spread the ball out wide when a Stow back intercepted a pass and ran 80 metres to touch down under the posts in the 10th minute, the first time Stow had been in Evesham's half.

This raised Stow's game and the two sides became more even, Stow having the better backs, Evesham dominating in the forwards.

Then on 25 minutes, Stow's backs got a loose ball and with some slick passing managed to beat the Evesham defence to get a second converted try to give them a 14 point lead.

Evesham's heads did not drop and they again they fought back and started to dominate the game by denying Stow the ball, the forwards tackling, rucking and mauling well with the backs up onto their opposite numbers once the ball came Stow's way.

This hard work paid off with the last move of the half when Ashley Perkins broke through from five metres out to score and Joe Whittaker converted a difficult kick to end the half seven points down.

Evesham played into the wind in the second half and kept the ball in hand but could not convert their dominance into points.

Evesham's last game of the season is away to Malvern this weekend.