Keresley III 24, Shottery 20 pts

SHOTTERY'S winning run came to an end on Saturday after a thrilling encounter.

The pitch was perfect and, along with bright sunshine, conditions were just right for rugby.

Shottery were expecting Keresley to be a lot tougher proposition than recent opponents and so it proved to be. The home side were quick to show their intention to use much heavier pack.

Receiving the kick-off Shottery drove forward and set up a ruck but it was the home side that came away with the ball.

However, counter attacking with some strong diving play from the forwards and breaking through several tackles another ruck was set up just inside Shottery's 22. Quickly recycled ball enabled Keresley to crash through a Shottery defence in disarray to score.

Although giving away a weight advantage the Shottery pack were much more mobile and, when moves broke down, they were first there to retain possession. Good handling then saw fly half Evans cross the line to equalise for Shottery.

The game carried on at a furious pace with each side attacking and counter attacking. After a short period of sustained pressure, Keresley forwards managed to force the ball over the line for a second unconverted try despite stubborn defence.

Once again though the lead was short lived as local vet Stewart Watson broke through the defence before releasing Mike Berkinshaw to score the equaliser.

Keresley continued to use their big pack to good effect keeping Shottery under pressure. Both sides were having a titanic battle in the scrums and Shottery's front five of Povey, Kitchen, Burford, Stratford and Williamson all acquitted themselves well.

The Shottery backs again always looked a threat. Once again they struck from well inside their own half, a fine counter attack from full back Graham Charles reached the Keresley ten-metre line. He passed to Berkinshaw who gave it to wing Andy Houghton.

After taking on the full back Houghton slipped the ball to Rob Evans to score his second try and add the conversion to give Shottery a 17-10 half time lead.

Shottery came out raring to go in the second half and had Keresley in trouble straight away. The home side failed to take the kick cleanly and Tim Yorke was on hand to clean up the loose ball for Shottery.

The ball was popped up to replacement No 8 Tom Barker who crashed through the Keresley defence only to be held up ten metres short. With their tails up Shottery's pack were first to arrive again and they drove Barker over the line.

Unfortunately, the referee was unsighted and awarded a five-metre scrum.

Shottery were unable to capitalise but Williamson took another clean catch at the line-out and again the ball was moved quickly to Berkinshaw to take on his opposite number. He was eventually tackled and the Keresley forwards were penalised yet again for killing the ball in the ruck. Up stepped Rob Evans to stroke the ball home for three more points.

Keresley forwards set up a series of driving mauls that took play deep into Shottery's half before reversing the ball for the backs to score a converted try.

With ten minutes to go there was a series of strength sapping scrums on the Shottery 22. The Shottery pack refused to buckle but a back row move from one of these scrums saw Paul Watts offend. Keresley's young scrum half took a quick tap and darted across the line.

With two minutes remaining, Rob Evans dummied his way through the Keresley defence. He passed to wing Andy Billborough who cut across to the opposite wing before passing to Simon Stratford, he in turn gave it Andy Houghton who looked certain to score. But a last-ditch tackle from Keresley saw the ball bundled in to touch and the final whistle sounded.