Rugby Union: It's more of same as Park paste Aspatria!

SEDGLEY PARK began the second half of the season in much the same way as they had ended the first.

This was another wonderful display of controlled, committed and entertaining rugby. Aspatria, struggling near the bottom of the table, were never in the hunt.

Sedgley began brightly. A big hit by Tim Fourie turned possession over on the Aspatria 22 and Sion O'Hare crossed in the corner -- but the effort was ruled out as Sedgley were penalised for "crossing".

Moments later a well-worked back row move sent Richard Senior racing for the line with Chris Raducanu in support, but the Aspatria defence held out.

When a try finally came, ten minutes had elapsed and it was a scrambled affair scored by centre Jon Scales from close range. Colin Stephens added the conversion from wide out.

Aspatria came back with a penalty by stand-off Wood after Sedgley made a mess of receiving the restart kick -- but a second Sedgley try soon followed.

A diagonal run by Stephens with Rob Moon in support continued with a nicely worked scissors movement and right wing Mike Wilcock evaded two Aspatria tacklers -- and the referee -- to score near the posts. Stephens added the conversion.

Three more tries followed to complete a wonderful first half for the home team. Andy Kimmins won a line-out ten metres out, creating a try for Raducanu. Moon then made a break from full back. His pass was knocked down by an Aspatria defender, but, eventually Raducanu scored the try.

Just before half-time Fourie and Raducanu attacked from the base of a scrum and Scales scored from Stephens pass.

With Stephens kicking well the score had reached 33-3 at the interval. The Cumbrians had never stopped trying to play constructive rugby, but had made little impression.

The second half began with a Stephens penalty goal, but after that Sedgley lost a little of their earlier intensity. It was still pretty good though!

Scales was given ten minutes in the sin bin and that coincided with Aspatria's best attacking chance, but they dropped the ball five metres out.

A Moon break followed, with Kern Yates in support, and Raducanu had his hat-trick after a wonderful piece of running off the ball by the big Romanian lock.

In fact, the whole Sedgley team seemed full of running and it was soon the turn of the backs to shine again as Stephens sent Wilcock racing away with a superb long pass. The Welshman was in support to take the winger's inside pass and score under the posts. His conversion brought up 50 points for Sedgley with 20 minutes still remaining.

However, there was just one more score and that came in injury time. Left wing Paul Morris made ground before the ball was turned in-field for O'Hare to score.

Stephens inevitable conversion gave him a personal tally of 22 points, but the day belonged to Raducanu and his magnificent, grafting pack.

SEDGLEY PARK: Moon; Wilcock, Scales, O'Hare, Morris; Stephens, McCormack (Kinsey 60); Alcock, Treco (Byford 60), Ridehalgh (Roberts 60); Raducanu, Kimmins, Senior, Yates, Fourie.

Tomorrow Sedgley travel to fifth-placed Nuneaton for a game vital to Park's promotion ambitions.