St Valentine's Day Massacre Not!

Final denouement of a scrappy game, a catch and drive and 5 points to Sutton as Hegarty crashes over for the winning try in the corner, the score-17-13 to Sutton 3s over a determined Barton Under Needwood 2nds.
Sutton had the rare pleasure of a runout on the first team pitch against Barton 2s. Whether the game graced the pitch is a mute point but a win is a win and just about the right result for the home team who dominated, in a haphazard way, just about the entire second half.
The first half was a completely different animal as Sutton found themselves a try and penalty down at half time through no great Barton play but a totally disjointed performance from Sutton. Barton’s try came through their outside centre who cantered in for a try from about 40 metres, through a non-existent home defence. A penalty from a similar distance from the Barton stand off meant an 8 point half time deficit for Sutton and in truth they could not argue having created precisely nothing from 2 or 3 opportunities in the Barton 22.
Changes were made at half time and a change of attitude finally began to pay dividends as holes were punched in the Barton rearguard by Dean Harper, Vaughan Brown, Rhys Jones, James Hegarty, Mark McEvoy, Tom Foulsham and Alex Shaw as Sutton finally realised they were in a game. Cajoled around the pitch by a slightly off colour scrum half, Duckling the home team dominated territory. The first try came from a run by veteran Hegarty who fed Foulsham on the 22 and the move was well finished off for his 8th try of the season. Duckling hurried wide with the extras so 8-5 to Barton and game on. Shortly afterwards and indicative of a sloppy Sutton performance, a dropped ball in midfield two hacks upfield and another try for Barton, wide with the conversion and so in the box seat with time running out and a 13-5 lead.
Sutton dug deep but the next try stretched credibility to breaking point as skipper Marshall put in a 1 in a 100 speculative kick which bounced in no man’s land and suddenly appeared in replacement’s Ian Wilson’s hands who after a moment’s hesitation weaved his way to and over the line. Mike Clarke, who also made a hard running difference, coolly slotted the conversion meaning, that with 4 minutes remaining Sutton were trailing by a single point.
The entire 4 minutes were spent in the Barton 22 as a series of lineouts, scrums and penalties finally did for the away team.
The rest you know. A touch fortunate possibly but Barton proved obdurate opponents possessing an experienced front row that tested the Sutton front row of Armand Ro, Quentin Doireau, Marshall and replacement Andy Duckworth, to the full.