Midlands 5 East (North), Sat 5 Jan 2008

Barton 48 - Hamians 0

Thank God The panto season is nearly over

Thanks to unavaliabilities , injuries , retirements and hoildays ...plus student exams on a saturday ( never happened with a Tory in power ) the teamsheet wuld not have been the selection envisaged post christmas

late cry offs meant the bear 15 travelled with 4 debuts in a first team sheet , part healed veterans making the age profile stretching over 4 decades

even the M18 was shut , causing a 25 mile detour on the way ...

Away to Barton who are top of the league ...

All said the personal who turned out put up stern resistance and given better preditoriry instincts could have a brace of scores ...

The unfamiliar faces allowed the home side a couple of soft scores in the first half and a dubious penalty try and two lates scores from hamians trying to attack from deep perhaps gave the score a somewhat lopsided look

defence and first phase play was excellent throughout although Christmas fitness showed at times ..

Barton used their knowledge of the pitch slopes , hollows and peaks and mole hills to kick for position everytime hamians ventured deep into their half

Hamians inability to play the whistle , and assume the officals see the offence , conceeded possession and yardage ...

Still the results elsewhere in the league did not really hurt us and concentraction on the basics will no doubt pay dividends in 2 weeks against North Derbyshire

Gollum got a couple of corking old jokes in during breaks in play to the amusement of all ( the old uns are the best )