Bromsgrove Colts 15

Willenhall Colts 13

ANOTHER fine victory for the Colts on Saturday at Finstall Park.

Willenhall started brightly but it was Bromsgrove who went ahead first with a well worked forwards' try scored by hooker Adam Kelleher.

For another weekend the Colts suffered a shortage of experienced three-quarters, resulting in promotion to the Colts of fly-half Pip Seymour.

He had an outstanding game considering he was having to play a style new to himself and the rest of the team. Bromsgrove's coaches had asked the players to play a ten-man game for the first half, which was rewarded with the forwards' try.

Pip stuck to the game plan and played it tight. His colleague from the under-17s, Dan Gibson, also flourished in this type of game, covering the pitch in attack and defence. The forwards as a unit played well, with the front row of Blackburn, Evans and Kelleher prominent in the tight.

Willenhall began to win quality ball and with fly-half Jones, easily their best player, developing some threatening moves, a score was inevitable.

After a series of attacks Clifford touched down to level the scores. Full back Jones converted to give Willenhall the lead.

An infringement by Bromsgrove gave Jones the chance to extend the lead just before half-time, which he duly took and Willenhall led 10-5.

This was proving to be a tight and tough game, played at pace with wholehearted commitment from both sides, but Bromsgrove were staring at defeat if they didn't change their game plan.

Playing down the hill in the second half was crucial to Bromsgrove, as the forwards who were asked to play in the three-quarters could get up to some speed. The Colts started to spread the ball wide and employed plan B.

Willenhall conceded a penalty caused by consistent pressure from the Colts.

Byron Hobbs, on kicking duty due to the absence of Ben Copson, stepped up to smash it over.

Bromsgrove's Colts' answer to Rob Henderson, Matt Lewis, used his strength to good effect, crashing through opponents on several occasions.

Adam Heaton side-stepped his way through on a purposeful run which eventually resulted in a Lewis try near the end of a pulsating game.

Having been told by the referee that the scores were level and the Colts needed this conversion to take the lead, Hobbs kept his cool and slotted home the kick.