Stafford 20, Kidderminster Carolians 24

KIDDERMINSTER Carolians completed their Midlands Division Two West (North) campaign with a much-needed victory last Saturday.

KCs travelled to Stafford desperate to make amends after they had thrown away a 26-10 lead at home against the same opposition in the very first game of the season.

They narrowly succeeded in a close, fiercely-contested encounter which saw indiscipline prove costly for both teams but ultimately more so for the home side.

Chris Pinner successfully kicked a penalty to open the scoring early on.

But the home side edged ahead with a brace of kicks.

Carolians hit back and edged into a 10-6 lead when James Lloyd-Jones crashed over for a try and Pinner added the extras.

Three minutes later, Kidder were penalised for offside and Stafford made no mistake with a third penalty.

Stafford’s number-eight Steve Rowland was then yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on and now with a two-man advantage KCs made their numerical advantage count.

Missing two back row players, the hosts were powerless to resist some excellent support play by Kidder and Lloyd-Jones broke through his tackler before slipping the ball inside to Freddie Morgan who scored under the posts.

Pinner’s conversion gave the visitors a 17-9 half-time cushion.

Stafford began the second period with only 14 players but closed the gap with another penalty.

They then levelled the scores with their first try of the game.

There then followed 15 minutes of helter-skelter rugby as both sides went full tilt to try and make the important breakthrough, which eventually went Stafford’s way as they nailed his fifth successful penalty to put them ahead 20-17.

But Kidderminster replied well to win the game when Lloyd-Jones scored under the posts and Pinner once again added the extras.

The away side withstood a surge of Stafford pressure to win the game.

KCs finished a respectable fifth and can now look forward to the final of the North Midlands Shield against Old Saltleians Salteians on Sunday, May 8, at Dudley Kingswinford.