Dunlop 24 Alcester 26
Midlands Three West (South)
ALCESTER scored a last-minute try on Saturday to earn their second win from the opening three games of the league campaign.
The Coventry side took the lead through two early tries but their lack of discipline and subsequent penalties awarded to Alcester kept the Red & Blacks in the game through successful kicks from Max Biltcliffe.
For the second weekend in a row, captain Phillip Birks opened the try-scoring for his team – rewarded after several drives from the forwards pack allowed him to crash over the line.
However, at half-time Dunlop had a 13-11 lead.
After the break, Dunlop applied the pressure and scored a try and kicked two penalties to be 13 points ahead of Alcester with ten minutes left to play.
However, Jack Green continued to add to his season’s increasing try tally and got Alcester’s late comeback under way.
The lack of discipline which plagued Dunlop at the start of the match continued as Biltcliffe kicked another successful penalty before a late tackle resulted in a Dunlop player receiving a yellow card and the home side finishing the game with 14 men.
In the last play of the game, Alcester received three consecutive penalties where they chose to kick to touch every time to earn them a lineout.
After the final lineout and three phases of play on both wings, the ball made its way to Green again for him to land right between the posts to level the score.
The pressure was on Biltcliffe to kick the winning points and he did not disappoint, to the elation of Alcester’s players and spectators who erupted into wild celebrations.
Alcester return to Kings Coughton this Saturday for the visit of Ledbury, who have won three of their four league matches.
ALCESTER 2nds suffered a heavy defeat for the fourth weekend in succession as they were beaten 64-5 by Chaddesley Corbett.
Chaddesley had too much pace for Alcester out wide and the game was over as a contest by half-time as the visitors ran in six unanswered tries.
Still missing several regulars, the home side did contribute to their own downfall somewhat as three of the scores came from Alcester giving away possession from attacking positions.
In the second half Alcester rallied and, with the slope at their back, started to play the wet and greasy conditions better.
The Red & Blacks did concede another score, before Scott McGee went over in the corner for his side’s try after a period of sustained forward pressure near the visitors’ line.
In the end though, the visitors’ extra cohesion and pace out wide extended their lead further.
The second team will try to make it fifth time lucky at Kidderminster on Saturday.
