A half-time lead was being eroded before Burton out in place a game plan which took them through for a creditable and much needed bonus-point win.
After kicking off Burton put in some good tackles to keep Crewe & Nantwich around the ten metre line area. The first scrum was promising for Burton and soon afterwards they were awarded a penalty. Dave Archer, both Captain and Fly-Half in the absence of the injured Harry Titley, narrowly missed from 40 metres. The hosts cleared to touch from where a good catch and drive was followed up carries from James Davies and Ed Henry but a score didn’t materialise.
Play moved back towards half way before Archer sensibly put the ball to touch in the corner. C&N won their line-out and made touch. Burton attacked through James Davies, Joe Gazzard, Archer and Josh Cartwright and were awarded a penalty. Archer put it to the corner. The drive was stopped and several forwards tried to burrow over before Archer skipped through for a try. The conversion was missed but the score-board was moving after eleven minutes.
Burton misjudged the kick –off and knocked on. C&N had decent territory for the first time and some missed tackles allowed them to get within five metres before being halted. After some pick and goes they spun the ball to the right wing for a nice try. The missed kick left the scores level.
The C&N forward trundled the ball back to half way from the kick off but were turned over. Pancho Zemele and Joe Gorman linked well and released Left Wing Jack Handy who drew the last man and passed inside to Eddie Nicholls who raced over to score. Again a conversion went wide.
Jack Neal playing in an unfamiliar role of Right Wing forced made turn-over and Archer kicked diagonally into the twenty two. The Full Back gathered the ball but was felled by Jack Brooks and Burton were awarded a penalty. Archer kicked to touch and Burton drove 15 meters from the lineout and with advantage already in his sides favour Henry was the try-scorer.
Burton lost the ball after the kick off before C&N played through several phases before they were turned over, Burton swiftly moved the ball to half way where Brooks and Nick Oxley linked well. C&N defended well and won the ball back only for Gorman to turn it over superbly and then put a kick into the twenty two to pin the opposition back. This good work from Burton was undone by a series of penalties. One was in the centre of the field on half way and the wind was such that the ball went out over the half way flag.
Burton re-gathered themselves and very strong carries from Matt Davies and Ed Saunders out them in the right part of the field where they would remain until half-time. A ten-point lead in the win didn’t seem sufficient in the conditions and this was bolstered by another great driving lineout, with the ever-grafting Henry the scorer once more. Archer was on target giving his side a seventeen point cushion at the interval.
Gazzard, James Davies and Gorman made good yards from the kick off and then Matt Tivey powered forward. Burton lost the ball on the twenty two and the home side hoofed it sixty metres. Oxley kicked well back to half way. C&N couldn’t press home any advantage before Matt Davies and Jack Neal made runs for Burton. C&N turned the ball over and again kicked long; where the ball bobbled horribly to within inches of the line and was misjudged by the Burton cover, allowing the home side bundle the ball over the line and drop on it. A neat conversion followed.
C&N misjudged the kick off and it was soon back in Burton hands. A kick held up horribly in the wind and Burton were given off-side. The kicker used the wind nicely and in a matter of moments the home side had hauled Burton in by ten points and there were still twenty five minutes to play.
Burton shelved the idea of kicking and instead decided to keep the ball in hand and they did so with much more spark than they had done in the year to date. Gazzard, Saunders, Cartwright, Brooks and Oxley took play deep into the opposing twenty two. The ball was lost and cleared to half way but the game plan looked better. Gazzard took a knock and was replaced by Lewis Sturgess. Burton went through around a dozen phases to again threaten the line however the Referee got caught up in play so Burton were awarded a scrummage. A penalty was conceded and the hosts cleared to half way. 17 year-old Tom Beardsmore came on for his debut in place of Nicholls. Zemele was alert to the over-throw and surged 15 metres forward. Sturgess was in support and there followed a series of pick and goes before a C&N player came in at the side. Archer gratefully took the three points to make the score 25-15 to Burton.
Burton were called on to defend stubbornly for a period of time before Henry took a quick penalty and Beardsmore spun the ball out the backs. Brooks made a great off-load to Oxley who reached the Twenty two. The respite was brief as the home side used the wind to pin Burton back. C&N had the belief they could win the game as their Talisman Hooker and Winger were strong carriers. They piled on the pressure and had shipped the ball into the centres on the twenty two when Brooks raced forward and smashed his man to the ground. Burton were over–eager at the breakdown and conceded a penalty. The hosts kicked to the corner but Cartwright stole the line-out and as the Burton pack began to trundle forward they were awarded a penalty. Tivey was replaced by Adam Smith.
The pressure from the home side told and they scored in a good try in the corner. The kick was off target but the score was now 20-25.
Burton made some good yards from the Kick Off with Beardsmore marshalling the troops confidently. C&N were awarded a scrum but Burton turned over and then went through twenty phases of play which were well met by C&N, however the clock was ticking down and Burton successfully closed the game out.
The win takes Burton back up to sixth. There is break next Saturday followed by Dudley Kingswinford home, Hereford away and Kenilworth home. These three sides occupy 7th, 8th & 9th, so Burton’s return to form is very timely.