RUGBY UNION: KENILWORTH’S hopes of promotion from the Midlands 2 South (West) division took a hit on Saturday as Silhillians caused a 15-7 defeat at a muddy Warwick Road, writes Sophie Freestone.
The opening stages of the contest saw Silhillians have the upper hand in terms of the attack, however conditions soon made things difficult for either side to get a foothold in the match.
It quickly became apparent that it was going to be a case of who could take their chances and the hosts were the first side to put points on the board.
With 26 minutes on the clock, Kenilworth knocked the ball on just metres from their own try line and Silhillians were quick to capitalise on the visitors’ mistake.
That error allowed the hosts to whip the ball out to the left to score the game’s opening try. The successful conversion gave them a 7-0 lead as the half hour mark approached.
The remainder of the half saw Silhillians continue to look dangerous with ball in hand, while injuries forced Kenilworth into reshuffling their line up.
With neither side able to break the defence in the muddy conditions, the first half concluded with Silhillians holding a 7-0 advantage.
Kenilworth started the second half more brightly and their efforts were rewarded with 48 minutes on the clock.
The visitors secured possession from a five metre line out before taking the ball in field. The forwards then put on a powerful drive, allowing captain Bobby Thompson to touch down under the sticks. Alex Selby was on target with his conversion attempt to level the scores.
As the second half progressed Kenilworth were again forced to make changes to their line up, while Silhillians continued to show their attacking potential despite the slippery pitch, and they extended their lead with just over 10 minutes to play.
With the ball taken out wide, the hosts used their pace to cross on the right and the missed conversion meant they went into the final minutes with a slender five-point cushion.
Their five-point lead then became an eight-point lead with the final kick of the match through a penalty in front of the posts.
