MATCH REPORT: Lions win keeps them in the promotion hunt

Tom Dougherty scores the Lions first try. Picture: Mick Sutterby

They were at Newbold on Avon, near Rugby, in the Midlands Premiership and took the honours 21-5 to stay second in the table two points behind Birmingham.

“It was a horrible ol’ game played in awful conditions but we got the job done,” said Lions chairman Andy Moore.

“It was played on a bog and in the second half you just couldn’t make out who was who. It really was a messy. muddy slog and the ball never really got away from the forwards.

Action from the Lions match at Newbold. Picture: Mick Sutterby

“They used the conditions well and set out to upset us, bashing and barging their way up the middle of the park. But we could handle it.

“We were a bit disappointed not to get a bonus point but at the end of the day a win’s a win.”

The Lions went 7-0 up after 10 minutes when scrum-half Tom Dougherty caught the Newbold defence napping and streaked in from a tapped penalty 25 yards out. Nico Defeo added the conversion.

The lead was doubled on 20 minutes when winger Kaz Henderson scooted past two defenders to score wide out and Defeo did well with to add the extras.

Tom Lewis on the charge for the Lions at Newbold. Picture: Mick Sutterby

It stayed at 14-0 until five minutes from time when the Lions left the defensive door ajar and Newbold pinched a try back.

But two minutes later Henderson added his second touchdown which was again converted by Defeo.

The win was all the more creditable seeing as Lions lost Tom Gullands and Rory White to niggles before the game, had Chris Humphrey and Conor Gracey go off with knocks in the second half and also had Marius Andrijauskas and Dan Malem sin-binned in the second half.