Second-half blitz puts Spa in the ascendancy

Spa returned to Midlands Two West (South) action after a three-week lay-off with a hard-fought win over their mid-table visitors.

Despite a downpour an hour before kick-off making for a heavy pitch, Banbury began the game in a positive manner and penned Spa in their 22 for the first ten minutes.

Spa weathered the initial onslaught and began to impose themselves on the game. The home side pressed Banbury’s line and, as the ball shot out from the ensuing maul, Alex Carroll rifled it between his legs to winger John Raby, who raced over for an exquisite score.

The heavy conditions meant, quite sensibly, that both sides were trying to keep the ball in the pack and Spa were having the better of play, with prop Gareth Eastham prominent.

With Spa in the ascendancy it was no surprise when they increased their lead with a well-worked try. After putting in a kick ahead, Richard Staff was tackled without the ball and Spa took the resulting penalty quickly, with Mike Kelly taking advantage of a flat-footed Banbury defence to put his side ten points to the good.

That lead was reduced to four at the break, however, as Banbury took advantage of Leamington infringements to kick two penalties.

Leamington were first to show in the second half and quickly gained reward when Banbury kicked the ball out of a scrum near their line, leaving the referee little choice other than to award a penalty try. Northover added the conversion.

The hosts extended their advantage moments later when Craig Smith raced upfield and found Adam Preece and Danny Phillips in support. The latter fed the ball to Staff who raced in to score.

It was just the start Spa wanted, preventing Banbury building on the gains they had made late on in the first period.

They visitors did hit back with a converted score, but the loss of influential number eight Simon Brand to the sin-bin stymied their fightback and it was Leamingotn who had the final word.

A strong John Holland run punched a hole in the Banbury defence and he linked up with Raby who in turn fed Craig Smith for an unconverted score.