Ashbourne 22 Casuals 15

Saturday 21st Nov 2015
Midlands 2 East (N)
Ashbourne 22 Casuals 15

On an afternoon when neither side produced any sparkle, Ashbourne won the latest encounter. Casuals took a losing bonus point as their only consolation.
Previous games over the last few years have ended with the slimmest of margins, the wins being shared equally by both clubs. Casuals welcomed back several players, with a run out for Jon Ackroyd who for many years was a regular in the first team.
Ashbourne showed why they have got into their position in the league, with a dogged display, but Casuals once again must be kicking themselves for letting the game slip away. Unfortunately their cause was not helped due to injuries to key players.
Casuals played uphill in the first half, and despite the disadvantage, it took them only 2 minutes to register the first score.
A deft kick ahead by Gareth Davies-Jones was followed up by speedy left winger Jamie Baxter, and he latched onto the ball to cross for his second try in 2 weeks.
Ashbourne soon came back into the game, and a mess up by Casuals' defence, try let the hosts stroll in for the try. Inexplicably the kick from in front of the posts was horribly off target, neither side being successful with their kicks in the 1st half.

The game ebbed and flowed, and both sides cancelled out each others attacks, but when Ashbourne kicked ahead, Casuals initially messed up the attempted catch, but Ben Hallam came to the rescue, setting off through Ashbourne's ranks on a mazy run, he linked up with Brodie Howatson who wasn't going to be caught as he sprinted away for a try.
Ashbourne came back from the setback, and they put a penalty into the corner.
When they drove the lineout, Casuals disrupted the attack but unfortunately knocked on, and Ashbourne then set up an attack from the scrum, but Casuals escaped when Ashbourne knocked on, and the pressure was relieved for a few minutes.
Ashbourne came back again, with some deft handling they moved down-field, and Casuals fell away in their defence allowing Ashbourne in for another unconverted try.
The pattern of the game was a repeat of the previous few minutes. A penalty was kicked to the corner, Casuals disrupted the attack, Ashbourne again knocking on.
Casuals managed to get themselves into a panic on their own line, and the ball was taken over the goal line. Ashbourne again contrived to mess up the attack as a result of Casuals' dogged defence.
Casuals could not get out of their half, as Ashbourne kept up the attacks, and eventually they managed to get round Casuals' defence for a touch down wide out.
After a debate with the home touch judge, the referee awarded the try.

Casuals pressure disrupted the Ashbourne catchers from the kick off, and they won a scrum inside Ashbourne's 10 metre.
The forwards then got some go forward, and they took play to Ashbourne, and when they recycled possession, Mark Higgins kicked through, and Jamie Baxter again chased the ball to get to the touch down by a finger tip, drawing the scores level at 15 apiece.
Ashbourne still had time for another attack, but their left winger was thwarted by a last ditch tackle, and the game petered out going into the break.
The second should have seen Casuals use the slope but it didn't work out to their advantage.
Both sides were penalised, making inroads into each others territory, but Casuals could not make sufficient of a break-through, and it was Ashbourne who got in for the deciding try, when they set up a passing movement down their left wing, and Casuals defence fell away, Ashbourne crossing for the only converted score of the game, and their 4th try
Play again fluctuated, Casuals trying desperately to get back into the game, but they could not keep hold of the ball for long enough to make any attacks count. They held their defence well enough to thwart Ashbourne, but despite that, it was Ashbourne who looked more likely to score.

Next week Casuals are at home at Canalside to Melton Mowbray, in the next round of the RFU Midlands division knockout competition, with a 13.45 p.m. kick off.
Hopefully certain players who were absent for this game will come back to bolster up the side, returning from jaunts to other attractions.