DK downed as Kenilworth title charge picks up pace - The Leamington Observer

DK downed as Kenilworth title charge picks up pace

Leamington Editorial 21st Jan, 2020   0

A SLENDER 20-16 victory on the road at Dudley Kingswinford has kept Kenilworth right in the Midlands One West title race.

Kenilworth were rewarded for taking the game to the division leaders and, while staying in third, have closed the gap to DK to six points.

A positive start from the visitors resulted in a number of attacking phases that promised an opening score, until Dudley’s defence stepped in to intervene.

With the game still scoreless approaching the midway point of the half, the home side claimed the opening points through Sam Vaughan’s penalty on 15 minutes.




The play remained in Kenilworth territory thereafter, forcing the visitors to slowly work their way back into the opposition half.

After making their way to within a few metres of DK’s try line, a quick-tap penalty by the away side led to Gareth Renowden darting into the corner for an unconverted try.


But after failing to build on the score, another penalty by Vaughan sent the hosts in at the break with a 6-5 lead.

Some attacking momentum from Kenilworth early in the second half allowed the visitors to overturn the scores through Sam Harrison’s try – following another quickly-taken penalty by Renowden.

Dudley Kingswinford came back with a third penalty of the match from Vaughan to close the gap to a single point, though it was the away side who claimed the next score.

And it was a crucial one too in terms of the final result, as Jayde Cruickshank added the extras to Bobby Thompson’s run over the DK whitewash.

Cruickshank then kicked a penalty to stretch Kenilworth’s lead, one that was ultimately enough to see the visitors through to a 13th win of the campaign despite a Joshua Brown try converted by Vaughan with five minutes remaining.

With no fixture this weekend, Kenilworth will have to wait until making their return to Glasshouse Lane to host Hereford on Saturday, February 1.

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