Chosen Hill FP 30 Avon 31

Chosen’s victory at Berry Hill last week came at a cost as injuries incurred, coupled with their other longer term injured and inavailabilities, meant they were forced to field a much changed side including a very young back division, but to their credit they were in front by six points with only two minutes to play before conceding a penalty that gave the visitors the opportunity to score from a five metre push over scrum.

Playing down the slope, Avon were first to score with a penalty goal after six minutes but Chosen took the lead when Scott Claridge, making his debut at ten, used his pace to cross for the first of his two tries after a fine off-load from centre Ed Higgs who had scooped up a loose ball near the half-way line. Full back Ashley Lewis missed with the conversion but on twenty five minutes he increased his side’s lead to 8-3 with a long range penalty goal.

Avon responded with a penalty goal of their own before Lewis added kick number two to keep the lead at three points. Avon then nudged in front for the second time with a converted try scored from a scrum fifteen metres out and finished off by a powerful run from their left winger.

With half time approaching, Chosen levelled the scores as Claridge scored his second try as again he ran in from near half-way after a fine set up from nineteen year old winger Tom Darby. Lewis’s conversion gave his side a narrow two point lead at the break.

Eight minutes into the second half and with the advantage of the slope, Lewis banged over penalty goal number three and a couple of minutes later he was on target again with goal number four for a 24-16 lead.

Avon’s big pack was dominating the scrum and lineout and a driving maul from a lineout ten metres out resulted in an unconverted try to narrow the gap to three points before they levelled the scores at twenty four a piece with a penalty goal on fifty five minutes.

Lewis put his side back in front yet again with penalty goal number five and then with just four minutes remaining, Claridge landed a fine drop goal from thirty metres out to give Chosen what looked like a match winning six point lead but from the re-start Avon worked their way into the home twenty-two and after Chosen looked to have cleared the danger by winning turn over ball the poorly judged clearance kick was easily fielded giving the visitors the chance to launch one last attack via a forward drive.

When the home side were penalised for collapsing the drive ten metres out Avon opted for the scrum and as they powered towards the line Chosen were forced into illegally halting the move and were again penalised. The visitors naturally went for another scrum and this time Chosen were unable to halt the drive which resulted in a push-over try that left Avon just one point adrift and with the final kick of the match the visitors ten landed the conversion to steal victory.

Next week Chosen are away at Oldfield Old Boys in Bath

Chosen Hill Team: Ashley Lewis, Tom Darby, Ed Higgs, Phil Halstead, Marcus Ballard, Scott Claridge, Tom Bangs, Dave Revell, Mike Darby, Jonny Mullis, Dan Probin, Marc Riddel, Mike Panting, Kirk Lewis, Dean Barnard (Cpt). Replacements: Jamie Wilce, Ryan Collier, Nick Tribe.