MATCH REPORTS: Borough run riot at Fengate, Lions draw in Coventry

Midlands Division Two East (South) table-toppers Borough treated their supporters to some superb rugby in their last home game of the year to see off big East Midlands rivals Luton 51-5 while the Lions drew 17-17 away at Coventry side Broadstreet in National League Division Three.

Sharing the spoils with the division’s in-form team who were lying third in the table wasn’t a bad result for the Lions, especially as they were missing a handful of key players.

But chairman Andy Moore said they were disappointed not to get the win.

He said: “We were in front for most of the game, we had the territory and we created more chances but unfortunately handling errors cost us. That final ball just wouldn’t go to hand on so many occasions.

“We also had three yellow cards in the second half and were down to 13 men for almost 10 minutes. That never helps.

“But at the end of the day we’ll settle for two points, Every point counts in this division because it’s so wide open.”

Tom Dougherty, Kaz Henderson and Tom Lewis were the players sin-binned while on the scoresheet for the Lions were Tom Gulland (try) and Will Carrington (three penalties).

The last of Carrington’s successful kicks came right at the end to level matters after Broad Street hit the front for the first time at 17-14 with only 10 minutes left. It was 11-10 to the Lions at half-time.

The Lions remain 10th in the table.

Borough owed their big win to a very impressive second-half showing in the rain at Fengate.

For the first quarter of the contest, Luton were more than a match for their hosts.

They had a huge set of forwards and with half-an-hour gone there was nothing in it. Borough led 8-5 courtesy of a try and penalty by full-back Danis Tomoliunas and a very close encounter was anticipated.

But Borough slipped in two tries in quick succession just before the break for an 18-5 advantage and that knocked the stuffing out of the Bedfordshire boys. It was a double blow from which they never really recovered as Borough went on to totally dominate the second half.

A bone-crunching tackle by player/coach Nico Steenkamp to gain possession and then a lovely chip into space by fly-half Tom Williams paved the way for Stefan Gallucci to score the first of those two late tries and then second row Ben Higton crashed over for the second after powerful drives by Steenkamp, Stuart Day and Paulius Strigonas.

Five minutes into the second half and Borough banked their bonus point for scoring four tries. The touchdown came from Steenkamp after a break by Joe Andresen and a lovely inside pass by Michael Bean. Williams added the conversion to make it 25-5.

Although the ball resembled a bar of soap, Borough persisted with their wide, expansive game and it paid off handsomely as their backs revelled in the rain.

They scored four more tries - three of which Williams converted. Higton grabbed his second - again after a good carry by Day - and then Joe Andresen weaved his way in after a strong run by substitute winger Chris Sansby.

Andresen then turned provider, laying the foundations for a try by Sansby, and to round it off Borough were awarded a penalty try in injury-time as the wilting Luton pack infringed under pressure.

Oundle remain close on Borough’s heels. They stay second, three points behind Borough, after winning 34-7 at home to Market Harborough.

In the same division, Stamford drew 15-15 at home to Vipers.