Caldy ………………………….. 20pts
Tries: Hayes 15, Pilgrim 20, Hearn 27
Conversions: Barker 16
Penalty: Barker 11
Ampthill …………………….. 29pts
Tries: Barton 2, 52; Jackson-Richards 46, 76
Conversions: Barton 47, 53, 77
Penalty: Barton 68
AMPTHILL recorded a fine fightback victory on the road to overtake Nottingham and move up to seventh in the league.
A 50-mile-per-hour gale sweeping in from the Dee Estuary was always going to have a bearing on this game at Caldy's exposed Paton Field and so it proved.
Ampthill head coach Paul Turner considered the first and last five minutes of the first half as being pivotal to the outcome.
“Josh Barton's try for us against the elements at the start of the half and our scrambling defence to prevent Caldy from getting their fourth try at the end of the 40 minutes kept the game just within reach for us at 20-5 down at the break,” Turner said.
scoreboard within fiveminutes but for the rest of the half they had to withstand constant pressure from the Caldy driving maul, superbly led by the belligerent Nathan Rushton and the giant all action Joe Sproston who had his finest game in a Caldy shirt.
With the visitors surprisingly maintaining a full complement of players despite conceding a constant stream of penback up last week's win against Ealing. Paton Field is a tough place to win.”
Josh Barton's outside break got the Mob on the tion, in the conditions the lead looked a little light.
TEAMS
CALDY: Hayes 6, Mitchell 6 (Jones 74, 6), Wilkinson 6, Barlow 6 (Cartmill 68, 6), Kilcourse 6, Barker 6, Pilgrim 7 (Murray 68, 6) Rushton 8, (Higginson 53, 6) Hearn 7, Sproston 8, McNamee 7, Dickinson 6 (Weatherby 53, 6), Olyott 7 (Kelly 74, 6), Booth 6 (Cox 68, 6), Ridgway 6
AMPTHILL: Bacon 6, Elliot 6, Morris 6, Strachan 6, Jackson 7, Barton 8, White 6 (Bracken 53, 7), Crean 6 (Flynn 53, 6), Adejimi 6 (Chapman 68, 6), Johnston 6 (Beaton 57, 6), Stonham 6, Shenton 7 (Evans 74, 6), Michelow 6, Knight 7 (Blackmore 78, 6), Strong 6 (Moore-Aiono 78, 6),
REFEREE: Alexander Thomas
ATTENDANCE: 1,021
Star man Josh Barton -Ampthill
With the gale behind them Ampthill were rejuvenated. Playing at pace with the livewire Barton pulling the strings they built their way into the game. A try from winger Brandon Jackson-Richards, converted by Barton, and another try from Barton cut Caldy's lead to just the one point at 20-19.
Caldy's defence held firm for the next quarter alties it was only a matter of time before the Ravers scored.
A Lewis Barker penalty was followed by three Caldy tries from full-back Rhys Hayes, scrum-half Chris Pilgrim and hooker Ollie Hearn, all from driving lineouts. With just the one try converted by Barker, Caldy led by 15 points.
Despite the Caldy pack completely dominating and bullying their opposiuntil Barton's penalty put the visitors ahead.
The best move of the game was left until the end when an arcing run by Jackson-Richards beat a slew of would be Caldy defenders to put the winger in under the posts and give Ampthill the bonus point win. Both sides scored three tries playing with the elements but crucially it was Ampthill's first try against the gale that was the difference.
