New Brighton
Football Club (R.U.)
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New Brighton Football Club (R.U.) |
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November Match Reports Season 2000-2001 |
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English National League Division 3 North |
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New Brighton 31 - 7 Bedford Athletic
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The Blues made their intentions clear before the kick off, prefering power to pace by replacing Steve Fox with Nick Allott in the second row. Straight from the kick off, with sustained forward pressure, the Blues kept the Bedford forwards penned in their own 22. Time after time they won good possession only to take the ball back into their forwards and several early chances went begging. Such was the superiority of the Blues that something had to give and on 14 minutes after another attempt at driving the opposition back over their own line, they were rewarded when No 8 Steve Bellis gained a touch down. Paul Brett converted. Score 7 - 0 From the restart the Blues surged forward again, with young Alan Hesketh, starting his first game at scrum half, urging his forwards on. On 17 minutes, inside their own half the Blues were awarded a penalty when the visitors prop Haydn Blowers was yellow carded for wrongful use of the boot. From the penalty the Blues found touch deep in the inside Bedfords half, won the line out then proceeded to get themselves into a terrible tangle and from fully 70 metres Bedford, now with a man short , ran in a fine try with Gareth Williams eventually getting the touch down. Giles Witheat converted. Score 7- 7 The score spurred the Blues into action and 5 mins later another big forward drive ended with Steve Bellis picking up his second try. The conversion was missed. Score 12 - 7 The Blues, with Alan Hesketh now using his phenomenal pace were getting the ball out wider and after several near misses, with 31 minutes gone, a powerful break by Marcus Coast brought a well earned try. Paul Brett converted. Score 19 - 7 The first half ended with the Blues forwards still driving down the middle of the park, in complete control, without turning possession into points. Half Time: New Brighton 19 - 7 Bedford Athletic The forwards were not so dominant now and New Brighton's inability to play quick ball allowed Bedford back into the game. For long periods they kept possession, probing the home team's defence, but the Blues defence was up to anything they could throw at them. Mark Dorrington replaced Phil Gazzola at prop for the Blues and on 65 minutes, after several raids deep into Bedford's 22, the backs broke out and a quick pass from Adam Butt put Hamish Pearson over for a fine try, which Paul Brett converted. Score 26 - 7 The hookers from both sides were replaced. The Blues Karl Davies for Iain Taylor and Bedford's Paul Simmonds for Darren Stapleton. The Blues also brought Steve Johnson off, moved Hamish Pearson from full back to wing, dropped Adam Butt back to full back and brought Steve O'Connor into the fly half position from the bench. The forward battle continued. The game now drifted towards the final whistle and in the last few minutes, just when the crowd thought it was all over, up popped captain Geoff Jones to crash over for the final try. The conversion was missed.
Final Score: New Brighton 31 - 7 Bedford Athletic Next week's game is away against high flying newcomers Dudley Kingswinford and now takes on a huge significance. After beating fellow promotion rivals Doncaster last week 33 - 3 and LSH 36 - 14 this week, they move into third place behind the Blues .
New Brighton must win this game to keep up the pressure on their promotion rivals.
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WALSALL 10 - 13 NEW BRIGHTON
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Despite this, strait from the Kick Off the Blues started where they left off last week, trying to play a fast open game. However, it soon became clear that "Mud is Thicker than Water" and it wasn't long before they became bogged down in a game that suited the home team forwards. After their opening salvo, the Blues found themselves stuck in their own 22, surge after surge from the big Walsall forwards was quashed by the tight Blues defence until an off side decision on 11 mins, gave Walsall a penalty 20 metres out and Mike Crisp made no mistake with the kick. Score 3 - 0 The game was developing into a ding dong battle, both teams stuck in the middle of the now deteriorating muddy field, only occasional bursts from Steve Johnson, Marcus Coast and Adam Butt went close and from one of these, after 18 mins, the Blues were awarded a penalty for Off Side and the ever reliable Paul Brett stroked it over. Score 3- 3 The game ebbed and flowed now and with the centre of the pitch becoming an even worse quagmire, the slippery surface meant that both teams found keeping their feet difficult and running almost impossible. Out by the touch lines the wingers waited for the few chances that came begging but when they did the firmer ground let them fly like gazelles and as half time approached only stout defending by New Brightons full back Hamish Pearson kept Walsall at bay. Just when it had appeared that the Blues had lost the plot a silly penalty fora technical infringement on 31 mins by Walsall gave Paul Brett the chance to put New Brighton in front, he made no mistake with the kick. Score 3 - 6 Half Time: Walsall 3 - 6 New Brighton Walsall started the second half as if they knew something the Blues didn't, they attacked incessantly and with such flourish it belied their lower league position. Only some desperate tackling by the New Brighton defence, in which Hamish Pearson was again outstanding, kept their speedy winger Malcolm Walker from a hat trick. This Blues defence is truly magnificent, every game it builds on it's already formidable reputation. Something had to give and in the 38th minute from a scrummage close in Mark Gilbert drove over for a well deserved try. Crisp converted. Score 10 - 6 The Blues were visibly shaken with defeat now staring them in the face. However, bit by bit with grit determination they pulled themselves back into the game and with only 7 minutes remaining the break came, when, after a tap penalty, good work by Steve Bellis let "Man of the Match" Hamish Pearson in for a try. Paul Brett converted. Score: 10 - 13 This win keeps the Blues in sight of their promotion ambitions and with Doncaster surprisingly losing to the league newcomers, Dudley Kingswinford, they are now positioned in equal second with two games in hand.
Final Score: Walsall 10 - 13 New Brighton Next Saturday's visitors to Reeds Lane are Bedford Athletic, who lost at home to Liverpool St. Helens, with the last kick of the game, 19 - 20. Last year the Blues turned in an outstanding performance agains Bedford running out clear winners 64 - 7
With the Blues now playing scintillating rugby it promises to be another
exciting game............. Be there if you can, Don't miss it.
Kick-Off is at 2.30 p.m.
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English National League Division 3 North |
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NEW BRIGHTON 27 - STOURBRIDGE 15
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The Blues made their intentions clear straight away when with sustained forward pressure they kept Stourbridge penned in their own 22. On 11 minutes the pressure was rewarded when they took the lead from a Paul Brett penalty. Score 3 - 0 From the restart the Blues surged forward again, first the forwards and then the backs testing the Stourbridge defence. on 16 minutes from a penalty, before anyone moved, a cheeky tap by Paul Brett took him over the line for a fine opportunist try, he converted Score 10 - 0 The score angered Stourbridge and they came back at the Blues with all the venom their huge forwards could muster. Drive after drive was halted by some phenomenal Blues defence, the back row led by captain Geoff Jones, playing his first game at No.7, was outstanding. In the 22nd minute the visitors pressure finally paid off when the Blues backs were caught offside, from the penalty fly half Duncan Hughes converted. Score 10 - 3 A lot of forward pressure from the visitors kept the Blues camped on their own line and just when it seemed that Fortress Reeds Lane would hold out , inexplicably, on 34 minutes, the Referee decided that Geoff Jones had overstepped the mark and he was duly sin binned. The Blues dug deep and despite the numerical odds against them, finished the half on the visitors try line. Half Time: New Brighton 10 - 3 Stourbridge The second half started in explosive style and after 2 minutes, with the wind now behind them, the Blues surged forward and from the driving maul, Captain Geoff Jones dived over to score. Paul Brett converted. Score 17 - 3 Stourbridge replaced No.8 Jon Russell with Ed James, the Blues swapped Mark Dorrington with The Giant Phil Gazzola. Straight from the restart, from a scintillating three quarter move, Marcus Coast scorched through the Stourbridge defence to touch down wide out, the conversion was missed. Score: 22 - 3 Again the visitors made a change, prop Simon Bailie being replaced by Dean Ball. Now the Blues were in full flow. The second row pairing of Steve Fox and Paul Campbell, ably supported by Steve bellis and Jez Lamb, were rampant. Time after time they drove the opposition back and with quick ball sent the backs off on many a mazzy run. Only desperate defending kept the score down. In the 63rd minute, with the crowd baying for another score and just when Stourbridge thought that they had survived the storm, Steve Bellis burst free from a maul, Adam Butt drew the fullback and slipped the ball to Paul Brett who sprinted over to score near the posts. He failed with the conversion. Score: 27 - 3 This was heady stuff and how the Blues were enjoying themselves, the ball was wizzed around every which way and 5 minutes later the pressure the pressure resulted in a penalty for offside . The usually reliable Brett, inexplicably, missed. Matt Pennington came on for Emrys Evans. perhaps the Blues thought that it was all over, they became a little careless and on 75 minutes, from a ball that shot out of the scrum sideways, Stourbridge, now playing catchup rugby, spun it wide and the Blues defence was caught flat footed as winger Jon Hall scored. The conversion was missed.Score: 27 - 8 Stourbridge took heart from this and they surged deep into the Blues 22, pinning them down. With bodies everywhere, the referee got confused. 2 minutes into injury time he sin binned Jez Lamb. Now into the 6th minute of injury time the referee saw fit to award a penalty try for a collapsed maul. Final Score: New Brighton 27 - 15 Stourbridge This win puts the Blues equal second in the league with a game in hand. |
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TETLEY BITTER CUP - 4th round
Match played at Reeds Lane
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Despite all the atrocious weather recently the heavy wind and rain held off and a large crowd of about 1,000 fans turned up to see the clash. The visitors made their intentions clear when after only 3 minutes they took the lead following a forward drive and their No.8 Richard Griffiths dived over in the corner. The conversion was missed. Score 0 - 5 After 10 minutes of some lively open play by the "Welsh", which put the new Brighton defence under enormous pressure, ended with a fine break by full back Matt Vines who put centre Adam Bidwell in for a fine try. andy Lee converted Score 0 - 12 The "Welsh" were now rampant and it was all New Brighton could do to hold them at bay. Another score seemed inevitable as the southerners kept coming, wave after wave of attacks. On 20 minutes another fine break by Matt Vines put winger Martin Giraud in for another great try and Lee obliged with the conversion. Score 0 - 19 Just when the home crowd were beginning to think this was going to be a rout the "Blues" spirit suddenly appeared, taking the game back to the visitors half they broke from open play, spun the ball wide and were just pulled down short of the line. Now it was New Brighton's turn to turn the screw and attack after attack was resolutely defended by the "Welsh". Eventually on 27 minutes, after forcing a lineout 5 metres out the "Blues" drove over the line for Kevin Brookman to touch down. Paul Brett added the extra points. Score 7 - 19 It was the "Blues" turn to apply pressure and some powerful forward drives interlaced with some sparkling three-quarter movements had the visitors looking vulnerable. As half time arrived the "Blues" were still pressing but were unable to add to their score despite two long-range penalty attempts into the wind by Paul Brett. Half Time: New Brighton 7 - 23 London Welsh The second half opened with New Brighton carrying the game to London Welsh and 5 minutes in they were awarded a penalty for killing the ball and Paul Brett obliged with the points. Score: 10 - 19 Both teams were weary of each other now and the game went into a strange lull before the storm. Just when the home fans were expecting a New Brighton surge a collapsed maul gave the "Welsh" a disputed penalty which Andy Lee struck sweetly between the posts. Score: 10 - 22 Straight from the restart the "Blues" powered into the visitors half and from a boisterous melee in midfield the visitors No 4 Chad Eagle was sin-binned for 10 minutes for foul play. Paul Brett narrowly miissed the kick from 40 metres Playing against 14 men the crowd now sensed that New Brighton had the upper hand, alas they couldn't take advantage and on 59 minutes with the "Welsh" still playing one short, it was they who seized on a dropped pass and turned a "Blues" attack, when deep in their own half, into a try at the other end with Michael "Buster" White finishing off a fine move. The conversion was missed. Score: 10 - 27 Sin-bin over, the "Welsh" resumed their power play but instead of tiring the "Blues" tackled like demons and with some magnificent forward play pushed the visitors deep into their own half and on 71 minutes, after a number of driving mauls, Geoff Jones crashed over for a well-deserved try. Paul Brett converted Score: 17 - 27 New Brighton now threw everything at London Welsh but yet again some uuntidy handling under pressure let them down and from inside their own 22 Giraud broke and slipped the ball to the always dangerous Matt Vines who sprinted half the length of the field to touch down and put the game out of New Brighton' reach. Andy Lee missed the conversion Score: 17 - 32 Even though the referee played 7 minutes of extra time the game was now beyond the "Blues" who had played their hearts out against a team two divisions above them. Final: New Brighton 17 - 32 London Welsh |
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