Spalding 12
Market Bosworth 26
A second-half recovery was not quite enough for Spalding to topple league leaders Market Bosworth.
The visitors dominated the first half, hardly letting Spalding out of their half and led 21-0 at the break.
The Leicestershire team extended their lead to 26 points before Spalding clawed their way back with two tries.
Earlier in the season Bosworth had run out easy 46-17 winners in the reverse fixture and Spalding knew it would be a tough afternoon on a Centenary Park pitch still saturated from recent heavy rain.
Initial good tackles by Spalding kept the visitors at bay but their six foot seven inch prop, who weighed in at more than 23 stone charged the try line with support and with a simple conversion the visitors were seven points up after six minutes.
Bosworth’s confidence was high with Spalding kicking for territory to relieve pressure but failing to find the sidelines. The ball was run straight back by Bosworth’s tricky full-back and on the quarter of an hour from a ruck ten metres out the ball flowed along their backs and the outside centre cut through Spalding’s defence to cross the line for a try.
With half-time approaching, Bosworth were again encamped on Spalding’s try line and their forwards drove over the line between the posts for a converted try.
The gain line was again breached when the outside centre cut through Spalding’s defence to score an unconverted try.
The home fight-back started deep inside Bosworth territory when the ball was moved swiftly along the backs and a grubber kick through by Conall Mason saw Gav Sharman score out wide with 13 minutes remaining.
A feature of Spalding revival was the counter attack running by full-back Ed Booth. His pace made 40-50 metres with every run and support play saw pressure being mounted on Bosworth.
The forwards used a driving maul towards the try line and, although stopped, the ball was recycled to Zokas Raimondas who drove powerfully for the try line, successfully converted by Mason.
Spalding’s second half performance featured far better teamwork, good carries by the forwards and penetrating runs with ball in hand by the backs on which to build for the rest of the season.
Spalding: Cowell, Da Silva, Turner, Douglas, Raimondas, Wraith, W Shields, Anker, Sutcliffe, Ingleby, B Shields, Mason, Sharman, Christie, Booth. Subs: Noble, Crane, Duce.
