Match report

LEDBURY EDGE OUT WARRIORS IN BRUISING BATTLE.

Ledbury 24 - 21 Worcester A

Well we have waited a while due to the Weather to finally get a game at home, but these two were well worth waiting for.

On a typically cold but glorious spring morning Ledbury and Worcester locked horns and played out two ferocious matches in which both squads should take credit for a totally committed and full on encounter.

With Worcester pumped up and looking to gain revenge for the defeat at Sixways earlier in the Season and Ledbury looking to continue there good recent form and do the double over there near rivals , the scene was set for what would turn out to be a cracking mornings rugby. 

Game 1

Ledbury 19 - 0 Worcester A

Both sides looked to gain a foothold from the start and gain a territorial advantage with Ledbury working hard to break down a well organised and dangerous Worcester line.

The visitors put  the hosts under pressure from an early scrum and moved the ball well but poor handling meant that Ledbury were able to contain them.

Both sides continued to trade blows with Bennion and Hinkley standing out early for the hosts.

Worcester continued to probe and passed with confidence and there tactics of kicking behind the hosts was working well on a particularly difficult surface , although credit must go to Evans , Prosser and Best for returning these kicks with interest.

Ledbury continued to carry the game to there opponents and Hinkley and Bennion continued to make good yards , Hemingway and Scott carried well and caused Worcester problems but despite there efforts they could still not find away through a well disciplined defence.

Worcester were very competitive at the breakdown and when they found themselves close to the hosts line in took a huge defensive effort from Hemingway , Rayner and Hinkley to keep them out.

This pressure seemed to almost shock them back into life Bandfield made good yards down the right wing following good hands from the backs.

Evans , Skittery and Prosser starting to straighten there running lines and this took Ledbury into the visitors half but to the visitors credit they repelled all that Ledbury could throw at them.

To Ledburys credit they kept applying the pressure and when good work from the forwards set up a maul close to the Worcester line Bennion peeled off the back to go over the whitewash and get the home side on the scoreboard, Prestwich converted the extras from the boot.

Worcester as you would expect and to there credit came straight back at Ledbury and there forwards continued to make life difficult in the rucks but as the half finished they could not find away through the Ledbury defence.

At the turn Ledburys forwards stepped up a gear Hinkley continued to put his body on the line with some huge carries , Bennion , Hemingway and Scott supported this effort and started to win and protect the ball better.

This platform gave Marriot and Prestwich some quicker ball which they used well getting Skittery , Evans and Best into the game this movement took the hosts deep into the visitors half.

When the ball was presented back Marriot fed Evans who jinked his way through the Worcester tacklers to carry the ball to within yards of the visitors line , great rucking from Scott and Rayner allowed Bennion to collect at the base and finish off a fine flowing move and increase the hosts lead. The conversion was missed.

Ledbury had there tails up but new that Worcester would keep coming at them , a good clearance kick from Prestwich made the Worcester backs retreat and a great chase from Bandfield saw he wrap up the defender on half way , Bennion , Scott and Rayner put in a huge effort to win and protect the ball but there wasn't the support on hand to capatilise as Worcester's defence re organised.

Worcester continued to kick and make the Ledbury backs turn but the Ledbury backs were comfortable with this now and happy to run in back at them none more so than Prosser , Evans and Skittery.

The front five continued to work tirelessly as both sets of forwards continued to knock lumps out of each other in an attempt to gain the upper hand, but it was to be the hosts who just had enough left in the tank for one last effort.

Great hands from PrestwIch , Prosser and Best saw Ledbury again make good ground up field and after several phases of build up play it fell to another forward Hemingway to crash over and seal the victory. This time the extras were added by Evans.

Ledbury try Scorers  Bennion x 2 , Hemingway

Conversions by         Prestwich , Evans

Team : Bennion , Rayner , Hemingway , Scott , Hinkley , Marriot , Prestwich , Evans , Bandfield , Skittery , Best , Prosser , ( Peters for Best injury).

Game 2

Ledbury 5 -   21  Worcester A

Such was the intensity of the first game that unusually Ledbury picked up a number of key injuries so had to shuffle there smaller squad to accommodate this .

Despite a number of players playing out of position and with a couple still relatively new faces to the squad this was a spirited performance.

Ledbury found themselves under pressure from the start despite good tackling from Goodchap and Bennion up front. However inexperienced and slightly naive approach cost them dearly as the visitors raced into a comfortable lead.

Worcester were out of the traps quickly and clearly with a point to prove sensing Ledbury were a little subdued early on and not competing as hard at the breakdown the visitors went about there work and exploited in particular the blind side wing despite the best efforts of Peters and Harris to keep them out and went into a three try lead all of which were converted within minutes.

This left the hosts a little shell shocked and this is not a situation Ledbury are used to being in and knowing that the aggregate scores where against them, showed despite there injuries and formation they were not going to be beaten that easily and showed why they are such a difficult side to breakdown regardless of who is on the field.

In the second half and after a honest and frank team talk messers Bennion ,Hemingway , Scott and Harris lead the line and got amongst the Worcester team and prevented the visitors any real field position.

Prosser and Marriott tackled well and showed great determination in the contact and the whole side started to grow in confidence .

Lofthouse and Bonfield scrummaged well and Ledbury started to frustrate Worcester who despite being given a number of penalty descions in there favour could not find a way through a resurgent Ledbury defensive line which showed tremendous character.

This Character would be rewarded and rightly so, with the front five giving the backs good field position and when Whiles and Marriot linked up well the hosts were within striking distance of the Worcester line .

As the forwards piled into the ruck Harris neat step out of contact and offload to Hemingway allowed the prop to crash over and finish off a really well worked try . The extras were missed but Ledbury had there noses in front.

Worcester came back at there hosts and continued to move the ball , but great tackling from the whole squad but in particular Prosser, Banfield , Bennion and Skittery kept the visitors out and Ledburys second half display despite the scoreline showed huge character and determination.

Ledbury Try Scorer : Hemingway

Team : Bennion , Bonfield , Hemingway , Goodchap , Lofthouse , Whiles , Marriot , Harris , Mence , Peters , Prosser , Skittery  Scott @ ht .