MATLOCK 64 NOTTINGHAM CASUALS 29

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, LINCOLNSHIRE & DERBYSHIRE
SHIELD FINAL

Casuals' season came to an end at the NLD finals held at Matlock Rugby Club, where they were unfortunate to come up against a team from Midlands 1.
Matlock would normally be competing against sides like Derby and Ilkeston,and Casuals knew they were going to have their work cut out to compete.
To their credit Casuals started at a furious pace, and took the game to the hosts from the kick off. They held Matlock in their 22, but unfortunately Matlock managed to break out, when Casuals dropped the ball, and a speculative hack ahead found no-one at home in the Casuals defence. Matlock somehow gathered the ball to sprint in for their first score. Tries 2 & 3 followed as Matlocks backs revelled in a wealth of possession, and try as Casuals might, the moves from Matlock gave them room to outflank Casuals defence.
Casuals to their credit then had a period of sustained pressure, but they could not make it count, and once again Matlock cleared their line with another hack forward to get into Casuals half.
Matlock added a 4th from a pushover following a penalty to the corner.
Casuals once again managed to put together some good play in Matlocks half, and Charlie Bradwell ran laterally across the defence, before cutting in to cross for the try.
Matlock once again showed their power when they turned lineout possession into a driven maul, and shoved Casuals back over the line, to give Matlock a 31 - 5 half time score line.
Casuals started the second half in determined fashion, and when Ben Hallam eventually gathered a kick ahead, he cut through the Matlock defence before finally passing to Ben Wells who battled his way from the 22 to touch down. Mark Higgins converted.
Matlock unfortunately hit back with 3 more tries, 2 started from deep within their own half, and Casuals could not cope with the pace of the Matlock backs moves. The use of run rounds and miss moves created acres of space which Casuals could not cover, although they tackled valiantly.
Casuals did manage to get themselves back into game, through their enterprise and doggedness .
Joe Barton's quick lineout throw in was picked up by Gareth Austin, he linked up with the 3s and Hallam's timely pass put Chris Brelsford away down the wing, his pace taking him clear to the line.
Matlock won the kick off, and went straight back downfield for their next try as Casuals seemed to tire.
Brelsford was having none of it. As Matlock set up another move from the kick off, the ball was looped over the top, but Brelsford was alert enough to jump high to grab the ball, and Matlock were totally wrongfooted allowing him a clear run in.
Casuals were sparked back to life, and good interplay between forwards and backs through several phases to put Charlie Bradwell in at the corner.
But Matlock had the last say when their scrum half shimmied through, Casuals running to the last were unable to block his run.
This was a lesson for Casuals in what they could face in future, but their appearance in the final was just reward for a hard season, to top their promotion from Midlands 3. It was just the 2 division gulf was just to great to bridge this time.

I think everyone would agree that it was a great end to the season, not quite the result we wanted, but it was a good day out, and a chance for the lads to have a bit of fun, despite the result.
The 1sts have gained promotion, the 2nds and 3rds have come third in their respective leagues.
Something to celebrate at the dinner next week.