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Brave Luton hold their own in tight clash with Market Harborough

Brave Luton hold their own in tight clash with Market Harborough

Steve Evans13 Nov 2017 - 14:25
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It was a top of the table clash and both teams went into the game with 100 percent win records from their first six games

It was a top of the table clash and both teams went into the game with 100 percent win records from their first six games, but it was Luton RFC who came away with the 29-25 victory on Saturday.

Tries from Dave Evans, Bryon Odell, Ben Murphy, and Ryan Staff, plus a penalty and 3 conversions from David Hamm secured the bonus point win and moved the Lutonians top of the table.

Hooker Murphy got sinbinned two minutes in, but the Harborough kicker failed to get early points on the board as he didn’t convert the penalty.

At the other end, Evans dived over the line after receiving the ball at the back of a maul, tricking the home sides backs with a dummy which created a gap and he used it to his advantage. Hamm added the extra points with a simple kick right in front of the posts.

It was a kicking battle as Harborough’s fly half pulled back three points as he slotted home a penalty on the 22-metre line. Then it was Hamm’s turn to kick a penalty between the posts and make it 10-3 to Luton.

But, it was the home side’s number 10 who scored the best penalty of the bunch as he converted with a Dan Carter-esque kick from the 40-metre line.

Odell then crashed over the line as he caught the ball from a lineout five metres from the try area, and with the help of his fellow forwards, he was forced over to touch the ball down. Hamm added the extras to give Luton an 11-point advantage.

It was another well worked throw in five-metres out that resulted in Murphy scoring, the Hooker threw it to Odell, he gave it straight back and the number two forced his way over. Hamm failed to convert, and the game was poised at 22-6 at the break.

Luton scored again early in the second half, and once again it stemmed back to a line out five-metres out and the maul fell just short of the line, but Staff picked the ball up from the back of the ruck and dived over the line. Hamm kicked his fourth conversion of the game to make it 29-6.

The game looked all but over for the home side, but they seemed to find a second wind and went on to score three tries to put the pressure on Luton.

The first of which was scored by the Market Harborough’s replacement number eight, the home side pushed a five-metre scrum over the line, and the forward picked the ball up at the back of the ruck and dived between the posts. The kicker converted to close the gap to 16 points.

The home sides inside centre was next to score as he found himself two-on-one with Aiden Kenny but the full back couldn’t do enough to stop him. Harborough’s kicker converted to make it 29-20.

The home sides outside centre should have scored as he went on a fantastic weaving run around Luton’s defence but he dropped the ball as he went to touch it down.

Market Harborough then scored again as they turned over a Luton scrum five-metres out and the replacement number eight fell onto to the ball, Harborough’s scrum half failed to convert and the game ended 29-25.

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