Sutton KO DK!

Sutton Threes made the long tortuous journey to Kingswinford to play longstanding Dudley K and returned with a satisfactory haul of 4 league points overtaking the home team in the process. After last week’s luxury of 28 players for a friendly, Sutton had to make do with fully 10 less players.
DK kicked off and Sutton politely let the ball bounce twice in the first 10 minutes leading to an unconverted try and a 5 point lead for the home team. In a pretty disjointed first half performance Sutton played into their opponents’ hands and sizeable bodies! The scrums and lineouts worked well and in truth all DK had was a rolling maul which they used to good effect throughout the first half. When Sutton did run the ball free all too often contact was made and the ball was turned over in a monotonous manner. Vaughan Brown, as ever and Rhys Jones made good ground in the midfield and urged on by skipper Steve Marshall, Sutton eventually found the composure to score an equalising try through Brown. Did that settle Sutton? Not really!! James King had a try disallowed for a forward pass but that was it for the first half! In fact Sutton switched off again and they conceded another soft try as DK strolled over under the posts, successfully converted for a 12-5 lead for the home team.
Would such a long journey prove to be futile one? Not a bit of it as a rejuvenated Sutton team pulled their socks up, put their brains in (mostly) and played as they should have done in the first stanza! Tackles were made and breaks were supported and as a consequence points were scored. DK’s big pack tired and penalties were conceded. The ball was passed to the backs and Jones, Danny Price, Duckling and Mark McEvoy punched holes in the home team’s defence and it eventually cracked as Jones touched own after a powerful midfield run. Converted by McEvoy and all square at 12 each and all to play for. Minutes a fine crossfield move involving all the backs led to King bashing his way powerfully in the right corner for a well deserved try. 17-12 to Sutton as McEvoy was wide with the conversion. The force was all with the away team now as Stu McGarragle put in a cameo scrum half performance after the enforced absence of Duckling the victim of a late shoulder to the eye, which rapidly closed much to the amusement of his teammates!!
Selling an outrageous dummy McGarragle put into motion the move that would ensure the points went back in the backpockets of the Men in Green. From a lineout on the left touchline on half way the ball passed along the line arriving in the hands of Wilson, who used them correctly for once! as he cut inside to score to the right of the posts. A successful McEvoy conversion and a 24-12 lead to Sutton. Apart from the odd incursion into the Sutton 22 in the last 5 minutes the line was rarely threatened and the clock was easily run down. So a third victory in four for Sutton. The defensive line was strong and that’s a result of the constant work put in by players and coaches on a Wednesday night. A consistent largely error free, intelligent 80 minutes is now the aim.