Dozen of delight for flying Park

ONCE again Sedgley Park had to dig deep into their reserves of commitment and determination; once again the result was triumph, a 12th successive league win and the team is still on track for, at worst, a promotion play-off in May.

Against a team like New Brighton, a superbly drilled defensive outfit who play to the limit of the laws, it was never going to be a pretty match. The start could not have been better for Sedgley, though. From the first line-out, in the visitors' 22, Sedgley's forwards drove in-field three times, running their big men at New Brighton's backs until, finally, Cris Raducanu scored and Colin Stephens converted; 7-0 and still not two minutes played.

The next 30 minutes proved more testing. New Brighton, methodical, cautious and precise with the ball in hand, drove their way remorselessly up-field and they, too, scored from a line-out, the catch and drive routine resulting in a try for flanker, Kevin Bookman. The conversion was blown off course by the wind.

With advantage of both slope and breeze, Sedgley needed points on the board but two promising attacks were foiled by the referee's whistle. Stephens failed with a couple of penalty attempts and, worse still, Sedgley had their captain sin-binned for a clumsy high tackle.

In his absence, however, Stephens extended Sedgley's narrow lead with two penalty goals, and the team was camped out on the New Brighton line when the half-time whistle blew, 13-5.

Sedgley needed to be first to score and their spirits were lifted by a superb run from centre, Sion O'Hare. Rob Moon's pass to wing Mike Wilcock went to ground and was adjudged forward, or Sedgley would have made the dream start to the second half too.

In fact, the vital try was soon scored. Again from a line-out, Sedgley drove in-field towards the posts, but this time the ball was released to the backs. Stephens cleverly switched play back to the narrow side where Moon just had room to squeeze in at the left corner flag.

Stephens was beginning to have one of his most influential games. His long kicks had kept New Brighton pinned down in the first half; now he was giving a master-class in the arts of stand-off play, classy handling, the occasional darting run, and kicks of all sizes and shapes.

New Brighton were less well served by their kicker. Winger Paul Brett missed with two penalty shots, one very easy, after Sedgley had made a mistake presenting the ball after a tackle. This was an area of concern for the home team who repeatedly found New Brighton scrum-half Rhys Hughes standing on their own side of the ball, apparently legally.

A storming run up the right touch-line by number three, Tim Fourie, turned defence into attack and initiated the best handling move of the match, but no score resulted. Instead, New Brighton came back to score their second try, a repeat of their first, this time touched down by number eight, Steve Bellis; Brett's conversion kick bounced out off both upright and cross-bar, a much needed stroke of luck for the home team.

Less than ten minutes remained when Sedgley, finally, made the game safe with their third try. From a scrum on the 22, Rob Moon came on the burst, was held, but Kern Yates kept the move alive for Jon Scales to have a bash. He too was held but Sion O'Hare looped outside him to score against his former club. Stephens missed the conversion but was successful with a late penalty, and Sedgley had overcome a major obstacle in their quest for promotion.

Another tricky game this Saturday, away at improving Liverpool St Helens, who have recently been strengthened by a link with the town's rugby league club.

Team: Wilcock, Scales, O'Hare, Morris, Stephens, McCormack, Alcock, Byford, Ridehalgh, Kimmins, C. Raducanu, Senior, Yates, Fourie. Subs: Roberts, Arnold, Bullough.