Rugby Union
Lutterworth miss out on promotion

Market Bosworth 17 Lutterworth 14

Midlands Two Promotion Play-Off

LUTTERWORTH missed out on promotion in agonising fashion on Saturday as a strong second half performance was not enough to see them overcome Market Bosworth.

The two teams had finished second in their respective leagues to book their place in the play-off with the prize on offer to the victors promotion to level six.

A swirling wind and damp conditions forced knock-ons and infringements meaning neither side made ground in the first ten minutes.

Lutterworth centre Tom Goldsworthy and flanker Adam Welsh did try to break Bosworth's defence but without success whilst winger Brad Pell chased a kick from fly half James Cooke but it was just too far ahead and bounced out of play.

Good pressure from two line-outs failed to bring any reward for Lutterworth before Ben Hooper's charge was stopped just short of the line and the danger was cleared.

Still Lutterworth piled forward with Dan Thacker going close but still the scoresheet remained blank.

That was until just before the break when Bosworth made the most of a rare attack to score under the posts for a converted try.

A less confident side would have been shattered as Bosworth ran in a second try directly after half time but Lutterworth replied immediately.

Thacker broke the Bosworth defence before Goldsworthy and Hooper combined to set up ruck ball. Thacker again took the ball on and fed hooker Warren Tebb at speed to score under the posts, Lloyd converted.

That brought the game to life and attack after attack by Lutterworth's centres battered Bosworth's defence but it held and the home side crept into Lutterworth’s half.

Turner stole a line-out but a missed pass in Lutterworth’s back line allowed Bosworth to retrieve, spin right and score their third.

Frustration was evident as the Lutterworth pack was deemed to have hit the scrum early, and when the free kick was quickly taken by Bosworth and disrupted, Lutterworth were marched back ten yards.

Bosworth chose to scrum but pressure by Lloyd saw loose ball and a Lutterworth penalty as a home player crawled along the ground with the ball.

A further penalty allowed full back Hooper to float a delightful kick well into Bosworth’s half and three phases of attacking play from the resulting line-out provided the opportunity of points but the chance was missed.

A short venture into Lutterworth’s half was repelled as Turner stole line-out ball and attacking play caught Bosworth offside again, allowing the Lutterworth full-back to send Bosworth into retreat.

From line-out and then scrum, flanker Joe Sullivan went blind, passed out to Pell who stepped past the winger and fed back inside the Bosworth full-back to Sullivan to score.

Lloyd converted to bring Lutterworth back to within three points but despite sides battling away, the scoreline remained unchanged before the final whistle.

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