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Broughton finished the season
on a high with a hard fought 15-26 win away to North Berwick. With Hawick
Linden only managing to beat Leith 21-8 and not securing a bonus point, the
victory ensured a respectable 3rd place finish for the Wardie men.
It was perhaps fitting that Club Captain
Johnny Wells scored the final try of the season with 10 minutes to go.
Man of the Match Sandy Urquhart put in another superlative display and
a special mention to the wee Welshman Olly Maddocks who's 2
conversions and 4 penalties helped him to go through the 100 point
barrier for the season.
Recreation Park is never an easy place
to come and win however it has been a lucky place for Broughton this
year, dumping the hosts out of the Cup (which set us up for the
Boroughmuir tie) and now ending the season with another win at North
Berwick's expense.
The conditions for Saturday's
game, as ever played in the shadow of the North Berwick Law, were wonderful for
rugby. The delightful blue sky, the fast underfoot conditions and a
respectable crowd fuelling the debate once again of why we finish the season
just when winter stops!
On with the game and it didn't
take Broughton long to get on the board. Maddocks kicked the visitors into
an early 4th minute 0-3 advantage after the North Berwick backs were caught
offside just outside their 22 as they soaked up early pressure.
It was even better for
Broughton 3 minutes later when the Broughton forwards, who dominated the
proceedings for much of the match, set up and drove a rolling maul towards the
North Berwick line. Williams steered the rampaging pack towards the 22 and
when Fairlie took it for a solo run he was stopped some 5 metres short, Stan
Smith was on hand to welcome the pass out of the tackle to stretch over from 10
metres (or that's how long it looked like he stretched out for!!).
Maddocks, who may have to find a job next season after completing his studies,
slotted the extras to make it 0-10.
Now, like David Blunkett,
Broughton are often misguided when holding a lead, and it wasn't long before the
seasiders started to chip away at the lead.
In the 14th minute, Broughton
were penalised for being offside in midfield and from 25 metres out, the North
Berwick stand off clawed back the deficit to 3-10.
Broughton went straight back up
the park to stamp their authority on the game and a neat Maddocks chip almost
found it's way into Matthews path but the ball was knocked out of his hands with
the posts in sight. From the resultant Broughton scrum, Nicolson drove on
but was penalised for not releasing.
Fairlie took the ball for a run
in the 25th minute and was unlucky to be stopped in his tracks 10 metres out.
The pack were in hot pursuit and set up a ruck however Maddocks set up Matthews
with a ball that came with flashing lights and a health warning attached to it
and the possession was surrendered when a potential try was there for the
taking.
North Berwick found it hard to
get out of their 22 and with 34 minutes on the clock, the home side were
penalised for holding on to the ball as Broughton put them under intense
pressure. Maddocks obliged to make it 3-13.
The home side however refused
to give up and gave themselves some belief on the stroke of half-time.
Poor Broughton tackling allowed the stocky stand-off to waltz through the middle
of the field to run in for an easy try which he converted. Half time
10-13.
The home side's oranges must
have been laced with enthusiasm at the interval and it only took them 3 minutes
to put themselves into the lead for the first time. Broughton were
penalised for the umpteenth time for having too many numbers in the line out and
a quick tap from the stand-off allowed him to start a two pass move for the
winger to touchdown in the corner. 15-13.
Maddocks regained the lead with
a 55th minute penalty after the North Berwick No.7 was penalised for coming in
from the side at a rolling maul. 15-16.
The referee adjudged that a
similar infringement had occurred with 12 minutes left on the clock as the North
Berwick indiscipline started to lose them yards and ultimately the match.
Nicolson collected the ball and his quick tap and run allowed him to rumble to
within 5 metres of the line. Captain Wells was first up in support and
from that range, there was no stopping the Yorkshireman. Maddocks split
the uprights with the conversion and with 10 to go, it was 15-23.
Nicolson was inches away from
taking the coveted award of top try scorer shortly after following a tremendous
forward trudge up the park. The bearded bulldozer couldn't hold on to the
ball as he reached for the line and it squirmed out of his grasp.
The match was put of reach with
a Maddocks penalty with 5 minutes left on the clock. 15-26.
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