OLD Leamingtonians will have to rely on teams elsewhere to gain promotion from Midlands Three West (South) after suffering a 40-24 home defeat to Old Coventrians in their final game of the season.
From kick-off OLs took the game to OCs knowing that a win could well decide promotion for either side.
After ten minutes of open play with OLs having the run of the game a swift three-quarter move saw full back Ciaran O’Connor join the line to score beneath the posts.
Stand-Off Henry Reynolds converted.
The game continued to swing from end to end but OLs tendency to concede penalties when in good attacking positions allowed OCs to gain ground.
And when the penalty count continued to mount the sure boot of the OCs kicker converted three of them to move the visitors into a two-point advantage against the run of play.
OLs struck back with the forwards gaining good ground well into the OCs 22m where a series of pick and goes ended with back row Felix Heath crossing for try number two
Reynolds kicked the conversion.
On the stroke of half-time a further OLs infringement resulted in penalty number four converted for OCs as the hosts went in at 14-12 ahead.
OCs controlled much of the game after the break with OLs being forced into strong defence.
And it was OCs that created the next two scores.
Both were converted tries from strong forward pressure which swung the game back in favour of the visitors before OLs struck back with a forward driven try of their own.
The conversion was missed but it moved OLs back into a one score deficit at 29-16.
OCs were next to score with an intercepted pass which saw a converted to make it 33-19.
OLs quickly followed with a tryn when a sweeping three-quarter move allowed stand-off Reynolds to cross wide out to reduce the deficit to nine points.
The conversion attempt went wide.
OLs then committed everything to all out attacking rugby and OCs were forced to defend.
But a loose OLs pass was intercepted by the OCs centre who ran the length of the field to touch down and with the conversion following the visitors lead was stretched to 40-24 with the final whistle approaching.
A losing fourth try bonus point was all OLs could gain and promotion is now down to other teams losing games.
