AVONMOUTH OLD BOYS 5 CHOSEN HILL F.P. 9

With injuries and un-availabilities forcing Chosen to make four changes from last week’s winning team, the Churchdown side travelled to Bristol for their third encounter of the season with Avonmouth Old Boys and after dominating both territory and possession they came away with a well deserved victory.

Playing down the slope, Avonmouth got off to the best of starts when Chosen were penalised for barging at a line out and when the home side opted to kick to the corner for another lineout they won the ball and drove over for an un-converted try after just three minutes. Trying to defend the lineout, Chosen lost prop Nick Selway with a knee injury, forcing them to re-arrange their pack and bring on replacement flanker Sam Attwooll.

From the re-start Chosen worked their way deep into Avonmouth territory and with their makeshift front row of veteran prop Jonny Mullis (pictured), hooker Chris Dallard and second row Dean Barnard in fine form they began a period of intense pressure play that led to Avonmouth conceeding a penalty for offside in front of the posts. Skipper Andy King converted to narrow the gap to two points and half time arrived with neither side having been able to land any further score.

In the second half, Avonmouth outside half Matt Belbin missed two penalty goal attempts before King landed his second penalty after sixty minutes to ease his side into the narrowest of leads.

Chosen were by now playing with authority and committment with the back row of Tom Gyde, Ian Riddel and Attwooll all producing fine displays and with twenty minutes remaining they introduced new signing John Wand at scrum-half, with the former Stroud player quickly settling in. On sixty five minutes, Avonmouth hooker Craig Britton was yellow carded and King landed the resultant penalty goal to increase the lead to four points.

The final fifteen minutes saw Chosen continue to dominate territorially and although they could not add a further score, they held on for a fine victory.

Next Saturday, Chosen make the short trip to unbeaten league leaders Hartpury College, and they know they will be in for a difficult time but can take heart in the knowledge that they are the only side this season to restrict the students to a scoreless half, which they did during the home fixture at Brookfield Road back in October last year.