Belper 19 Nottingham Casuals 22

Belper 19 Nottingham Casuals 22
Midlands 3 East North
1st December 2018

Casuals managed continue their unbeaten run, with their 9th straight win in the league, this time not earning a 5 try bonus point, ending the day topping the league by a 13 point margin.
But Casuals made really hard work of it, only claiming the win as the game was drawing to its conclusion.
Belper took a very early lead as Casuals messed up from the kick off, and Belper crossed for a converted try.

Casuals came back after 10 minutes with a penalty from Mark Higgins, but it only served to spur Belper on to take the game to Casuals.
The visitors did not help themselves with far too many handling errors, handing possession back to the opposition regularly, either dropping the ball in very simple passing movements, or getting turned over in rucks and mauls.
The conditions certainly did not help either side, but Casuals seemed less able to adapt to the muddy pitch, and consequently a slippy ball. Restricting passing and keeping the ball tight in the forwards may have helped.
Casuals were forced on the back foot throughout the 1st half, and it was only their resolute defence that kept them in the game, but they still allowed Belper too much room.
Casuals were penalised regularly by the referee, keen on punishing players going to ground and not clearing away in the breakdown. One of these gave Belper the opportunity to increase their lead by a further 3 points.
Certainly the whistle kept Casuals back on the defensive far too often

Casuals could have counted themselves unlucky when Brody Howatson, clean through in the middle, was taken out by a dreadful high tackle, leaving him flat out, which earned the Belper defender only a yellow card.
(Could it have been a penalty try? Maybe not, but very close)
Casuals managed to lose possession again, as they took play to inside Belper’s 22 from the penalty.
Casuals went upfield again, on the right, and when winger Kris Jakuba was flattened, as he chased his own kick ahead., the foul play lead to a penalty kick to touch, from which the forwards set up a driving maul, leaving Higgins to grab an easy touch down, pulling Casuals back to within 2 points at 10 – 8.
The ref’s whistle again intervened on numerous occasions and Casuals were punished by 2 more converted penalties leading to a 16 points to 8 half time score.
The second half, it was hoped that Casuals would be able to employ the slight slope, saw them thwarted, as Belper mounted numerous attacks.
Again Casuals’ handling was letting them down, and 10 minutes after the restart Belper slotted another penalty.
Casuals did then start to get some help from the ref, as he took exception to Belper’s back chat, and Casuals took advantage to get deep into Belper territory.
A kick to touch again, then a pulled down maul gave Casuals passage to near the try line. Eventually Belper were shown another yellow card, the maul being pulled down again. Any closer to the line might have incurred a penalty try.
Casuals introduced their subs at this stage, Higgins moved to outside half, Andy Crimmins went from the wing to scrum half, Mina Abdalla made his debut at loose head.

Casuals managed to construct a cohesive move, from the set piece, the ball found Manny Cammarata, who went through between the Belper centres to run in Casuals second try, the conversion putting within 4 points of Belper.
The final score resulted from a poor kick from Belper, which was charged down by Alex Brownlie centrefield, he reacted quickly, scooping up the ball, leaving the home defence behind he sprinted to the try line.

Some may say Casuals did not deserve to win, but they have to be congratulated on pulling the result out of the bag.
Winning ugly is better than losing.

Next up, a home game on the 8th December, 2.15 kick off

1. Steve Baraniak
2. Pete Underwood (Warm up tops)
3. Richard Gill
4. Kieran Maisonnet
5. Jon Ackroyd
6. Graeme Roberts (Shirts)
7. Henry Franklin
8. Stu Williams (C)
9. Mark Higgins (Sweep changing rooms)
10. Yann Moysey (Sweep changing rooms)
11. Andy Crimmins
12. Alex Brownlie
13. Emanuele Cammarata
14. Kris Jakuba
15. Brodie Howatson (VC)
16. Mina Abdalla (Water Bottles)
17. Joe Barton
18. Callum Barry