Cinderford undone by Wharfedale

Wharfedale RFC 52 v 14 Cinderford RFC

CINDERFORD were on the wrong end of a seven-try extravanganza as Wharfedale secured a 14th successive season in National Two.

Home stand-off Mark Bedworth was the hero of a fine all-round team performance, as his 32 points included a hat-trick of tries and set a club record for league matches.

Despite the comprehensive margin of victory, Cinderford never faltered in their efforts, fighting on gamely after injuries struck.

Winger Toby Wilson was taken off on a stretcher on 60 minutes and barely five minutes later forward George Evans, who arrived on the field as the last of the visitors’ substitution options, had to go off, which left them with only 14 men.

The Greens dominated the early exchanges, the game plan clearly being to spread the ball at every opportunity to negate the impact of the powerful Cinderford pack.
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Bedworth opened the scoring after a strong forwards surge near the right corner flag. He failed with that conversion, but converted his second try splendidly from the opposite touchline.

The stand-off added a penalty before the Foresters at last broke through, scrum-half Sam Arnott burrowing over near the posts, leaving Tim Stevenson a simple conversion for 15-7.

Play remained mainly in the visitors’ half, but a second Bedworth penalty was all that the Greens could add before the interval.

With the bit between their collective teeth, Wharfedale continued to pound the Cinderford defence during the second half.

Bedworth cleared his third penalty and winger David Hall went over after a burst of frantic pressure on the Cinderford line.

The defiant Foresters pulled back to 26-14 with Rueben Haile’s fine score near the posts, Michael Wilcox converting, but thereafter it was one-way traffic.

The Greens added tries by Dan Solomi and an injury-time flurry of scores from Bedworth, Doherty and full-back Adam Whaites, Bedworth cementing his record by converting the final three.

Wharfedale: A Whaites, D Hall, C Malherbe (J Gill 80), A Hodgson, L Gray, M Bedworth, J Doherty, C Steel, G Hindle (S Freer 64), P Hall (B Fear 80), D Lister (O Renton 76), A Capstick (T Ball 80), A Allen, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Cinderford: J Copsey, T Wilson (R Haile 54), D Knight, D Scourfield, J Carter, T Stevenson (M Milcox 54), S Arnott; C Bundy, N Matthews (C Hall 51), A Deacon (P Kennedy 64), R Fidler, D Wright (G Evans 64), A Nicholls, C McNeil, R James.

star man: Sam Arnott – the most effective Cinderford player, constantly harrying, and at the heart of most of Cinderford’s promising attacks

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Cinderford hit back to race past Blaydon

CINDERFORD 35 v BLAYDON 30

CINDERFORD overturned an 11-point deficit at half-time to gain a hard-earned win over Blaydon in an entertaining match.

With a strong breeze at their backs, Newcastle outside-half Rory Clegg was Blaydon’s inspiration as his side scored four first-half tries to earn themselves a vital bonus point in their fight against relegation.

It was Cinderford who scored first, though, when winger Jaike Carter touched down for a try which Dan Trigg converted after just five minutes.

Blaydon hit back immediately when Brenden Daniel raced in for an unconverted try.

Clegg kicked a penalty to put Blaydon ahead, but Cinderford centre Dave Knight brushed aside some weak tackling to score his side’s second try, again converted by Trigg.

Another penalty from Clegg was followed by the simplest of tries from visiting flanker Ross Batty and then centre Patrick Dias went over, with Clegg converting both tries as Blaydon took the initiative.

A second try from Carter put Cinderford back in contention, but just before half-time James Clark went over for a try in a corner to give the visitors a 30-19 lead at the interval.

Defences dominated in the early stages of the second half before Trigg kicked a penalty after 50 minutes.

The introduction of England Under-20 player Freddie Burns at outside-half for Cinderford proved decisive, with his electrifying break putting flanker Adam Nicholls clear for a try near the posts and Trigg adding the conversion.

Cinderford were in the ascendancy in the closing stages, with Burns continuing to cause problems for the Blaydon defence.

Trigg was on target with two further penalties to edge Cinderford ahead and they held on for what had appeared to be an unlikely victory at half-time.

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Eight-try Cinderford coast to cup glory

CINDERFORD 54 CONEY HILL 7

CINDERFORD showed the gulf in class between National Two and South West One with an eight-try demolition of Coney Hill in the County Cup final at the Prince of Wales Stadium.

Cinderford scored five tries in an exciting first period, but the second half was a stale affair.

Coney Hill tried hard to break through – Rory Baker showing some neat touches – but the Foresters were far too strong.

The scoring started as early as the first minute as Jaike Carter finished a sweeping move, the pace and power of which had Hill chasing shadows.
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After seven minutes, lovely work from Dewi Scourfield put James Copsey over for a well-worked try.

Danny Trigg missed a penalty attempt before Chris Hall barrelled over.

It was all Cinderford as Darren Wright’s strength saw him force the ball down after 14 minutes.

Hill stemmed the flow and, with former Cinderford player Mark Rimmer prominent, created some half chances.

However, normal service resumed after 22 minutes. Paul Knight skipped through to feed Copsey and a simple draw and pass put Nicholls over.

Just past the half hour mark, lovely football from Freddie Burns created a gap for himself and he was able to sidestep the full-back to score.

Four conversions from Trigg helped Cinderford to move 33-0 ahead.

Hill declined an easy three points in favour of a scrum under the Cinderford posts and their courage was rewarded when Leon Liggett twisted through and Rory Baker converted.

Good defensive work from Hill was ruined by a poor pass and Scourfield accepted the gift to score easily.

Trigg’s conversion had 40 points on the board minutes before the break.

Coney Hill began a rather flat second period strongly and camped on the Cinderford line.

However, they were unable to break through some solid defence.

Cinderford’s pace on the break-out posed problems and only some over-indulgent passing denied them further scores.

On the hour mark, a simple move saw Paul Knight scramble over to get the scoreboard moving again.

Ten minutes later, fast hands created an overlap for Toby Wilson to score.

Burns took over the kicking duties to convert.

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Six-try Cinderford destroy Blackheath

BLACKHEATH 14 v CINDERFORD 41

CINDERFORD won their fourth consecutive away match at Blackheath, snatching sixth place from their National Two opponents.

The Foresters ran riot in south east London, scoring six tries and securing a bonus point by half-time.

A disturbing injury to their full-back, Danny Trigg, threatened to mar the entertaining encounter, but quick-thinking physio Claire Wozencroft swiftly prevented any serious danger.

Fly-half Tim Stevenson began the rout after two minutes when he sold Blackheath’s defence a dummy and scored, with Trigg adding another two.

Cinderford’s good defence was finally breached 13 minutes later when Blackheath scrum-half Ben Ibrahim picked up and dived over from a ruck on the Foresters’ try-line and Tom White converted.

But it was one-way traffic after that, with Cinderford scoring 34 unanswered points, beginning with the pick of the lot from Dave Knight five minutes later.

From a scrum in Blackheath’s 22, Jaike Carter arrived at speed before superbly flicking the ball to Stevenson, who passed inside to the on-rushing Knight to score. Trigg converted.

Trigg added a penalty nine minutes later after Blackheath number eight Gareth Jones was sin-binned for cynically tripping and preventing Paul Knight from starting another attack at a ruck.

Cinderford grew in confidence with every wave of attacks and they began securing quick ball.

It resulted in Rob Fidler going over two minutes before half-time from yards out. However, Trigg missed.

Just before the whistle, Stevenson’s inside pass put hooker Nigel Matthews under the posts for the bonus point and Trigg added another two going into the break.

Paul Knight then bulldozed through the tackles from halfway line two minutes into the second period, but Trigg was unsuccessful with the conversion.

On the hour, Trigg collided with Blackheath’s defenders chasing his own kick, but received fast medical attention and departed with 11 points and a relieved round of applause.

It was then Dewi Scourfield’s turn to smash through the tacklers and score Cinderford’s final try after 65 minutes, giving substitute Freddie Burns an easy conversion.

With time winding down, Ibrahim broke down the blind side from a five-metre scrum near Cinderford’s line and stretched out an arm in the corner to score, with Matt Leek converting.

BLACKHEATH: S Legg, L Wordley, D Brett, N Dewale, A Vanner, J Catt, K Aseme, G Jones, B Ibrahim, M Leek, S Smith, R Windsor, S Hamilton, S Moan, T White. Replacements: J Knight, N Winwood, C York, M Olima, L Amzaley.

CINDERFORD: P Kennedy, N Matthews, A Deacon, R Fidler, M Cornwell, A Nicholls, M Brown, G Evans, P Knight, T Stevenson, J Carter, D Scourfield, D Knight, J Copsey, D Trigg. Replacements: S Knight, A Duncan, T Wilson, F Burns, D Wright.

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Cinderford prove top-40 hit

Mounts Bay RFC 26 v Cinderford RFC 40

CINDERFORD secured a bonus-point victory at Mount’s Bay after leading 40-0 and then overcoming a late rally from the home side.

With a strong wind at their backs, Cinderford were quickly into their stride with Jaike Carter and Paul Knight crossing for tries, both of which were converted by Dan Trigg.

A set-piece line-out move then saw Knight go over for his second try before Cinderford rounded off the half with a terrific score.

It was started on their own 22 by Freddie Burns, who chipped ahead and gathered the ball.

He found Dave Knight in support and the former Mount’s Bay player was on hand to score the near the posts, with Trigg converting to make it 26-0 at the interval.

Cinderford soon increased their lead at the start of the second half when replacement Toby Wilson touched down after a clever kick through by Burns. Trigg again converted.

A sixth try followed from James Copsey, again converted by Trigg, and Cinderford were seemingly out of sight at 40-0.

Mount’s Bay finally got some momentum into their play with Brett Stroud going over twice, Tim Matthias once, a penalty try and three conversions from Dan Hawkes, but never really threatened Cinderford’s superiority.

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