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With 6 games left in the league after this one, Melbourne will probably
secure the 2nd promotion place if they can win 5 of them including
a victory over Dronfield, but they won't manage it if they continue
to play as they did in this game.
Melbourne traveled to Aylestone Athletic with a team that showed
some changes with Rob Foster, David Lowson, Andy Woodcock Robert Thompson
returning to first team action and Matt Brown getting his first start
for nearly two years following a wasted year with Derby RFC, but the
team still should have been strong enough to pull through easily.
Melbourne kicked off with the sun in their eyes and a slight breeze
against them and soon Aylestone Athletic had them under pressure,
without really threatening a try, but after 10 minutes Melbourne won
a scrum in their own 22 the ball squirted out the side and was pounced
on by a Aylestone Athletic player in the corner, 5-0 to Aylestone
Athletic.
Melbourne then started to apply themselves, the line out yielded
good ball and the match fell into a pattern of Melbourne coming close
to scoring Aylestone Athletic clearing their lines and Melbourne regaining
the ball from the line out and applying more pressure,in the end Melbourne
did secure three points from a Perry Penalty but should have scored
more.
In the tight Melbourne won thier own ball fairly easily and on balance
disrupted the Aylestone Athletic to a greater extent. In the lose
Melbourne were often second to the breakdown, but Andy Woodcock did
some great work ripping the ball and often managed to turnover possesion
Credit must go to Aylestone Athletic who defended well, countered
Melbourne's rolling mauls and always managed to bring down Melbourne
danger man Keir Biggins in midfield.
  
5-3 at half-time and the as if by act of god the sun went in the
and wind changed direction and robbed Melbourne of any advantage they
expected. As soon as the second half began Melbourne's lineout fell
to pieces nearly all of them were adjudged to be not straight, because
of this Melbourne could not sustain any pressure on the Aylestone
Athletic line, in the end Melbourne did get one right and this was
followed by a rolling maul that actually moved forward and George
Collin scored, Perry missed a difficult conversion 8-5 to Melbourne
With approximately 18 minutes to go Chris Fulton came on to replace
Pete Ilott who had been tackled late and had a nasty bash to the head
and shortly afterwards Andy Holden came on a hooker. The last 10 minutes
of the game were by and large played out in the Aylestone Athletic
half, who did try to counter but were always doing so from deep and
they could not make a decisive break.
  
The final whistle came as a great relief, despite the narrow victory
it had looked unlikely that Aylestone Athletic would manage a 2nd
score but they will be upset by their two first half penalty misses.
Melbourne move on, and winning when playing poorly is a useful trick
but not one you want to try too often.
Man of the match was Andy Woodcock for his work in the rucks and
mauls and the amount of turnover ball he secured.
Leading try scorers are now Pete Ilott and Ian Lucas 15 Each and
Chris Fulton 13, unless anybody tells me different.
 
Hi quality photos by Roger Parkes who may have secured a new job
in the club.
Team
- Lowson
- Cox
- Collin
- Judge
- Woodcock
- Thompson
- Macer
- Lucas
- Oxspring
- Sylvestor
- Brown
- Biggins
- Foster
- Ilott
- Perry
- Holden
- Fulton
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