Leaky defence costs Kidderminster Carolians in first half as Tamworth take advantage

THE hosts took the lead with an unconverted try on eight minutes after an unchallenged run by their fly half from a scrum on KCs' touchline.

During a disjointed passage of play both sided made handling errors until, midway through the first half, KCs captain Chris Pinner slotted home a penalty after a scrum offence.

With thirty five minutes played KCs went ahead for the first and only time when the hosts were caught offside in front of their posts and Pinner added another penalty.

Tamworth hit back after their scrum half played in their outside centre who was in plenty of space to bag a try which was converted to make the half time score 12-6.

KCs leaky defence fared no better after the restart, from a Tamworth lineout on the right between Kidder’s 22 and the ten metre line the ball was moved left to their fullback coming into the line and with two men outside him to distract the cover he cut through himself score under the posts and again the try was converted.

KCs responded with a couple of fine runs from deep by full back Jake Shellis and three penalties in rapid succession enabled them to apply pressure but on 55 minutes they fell further behind when Tamworth’s right wing scored wide out for the bonus point try and their No 11 added a fine conversion.

It looked as though Tamworth might run away with it but a gutsy Kidderminster side again took the game to them with some strong running by replacement Tom Mayall which almost created space for Pinner to dodge through and when he was stopped just short he was able to offload to fly half George Morgan for a deserved try which Pinner converted.

Tamworth hit back when their No 8 made a foraging run off the back of a lineout just inside KCs half and found his No 14 on his shoulder to send the winger under the posts with their No 11 again converting to restore their twenty point advantage.

Tamworth lost a player to the sin bin and, running the penalty, KCs were frustrated by another Tamworth infringement and this time a quick thinking Pinner scampered over.

The two touch judges both raised their flags to indicate that the scrum half’s conversion attempt was good but the referee overruled them.

Against 14 men Kidder again attacked from deep on the right and Shellis sped though to score under the posts for a third try, this time indisputably converted by Pinner to reduce the arrears to 33-25 with two minutes remaining.

Tamworth put the game beyond Kidderminster with a final penalty meaning KCs will finish sixth in Midlands 2 West (north) whatever the result of their last league match on April 22.

First they travel to Oswestry on Easter Saturday to take on the Shropshire side in the semi final of the North Midlands Shield.