Sutton Halt Slide

Sutton’s third team ended a run of defeats, that were not all of their own making, as they beat Malvern Seconds, thus gaining a modicum of revenge for a truly awful thumping in Worcestershire two weeks before Christmas.
Showing strength in depth Sutton won convincingly by 30 points to 17 and but for a couple of traditional lapses in concentration the margin would have been more convincing.
A strong Sutton start, a real rarity that! lead to an early 10 point lead as Alex Shaw scored a fine individual try dancing through the Malvern defence converted by Matt Morgan who shortly after slotted a penalty to register that 10 point lead. Shaw went close several times shortly afterwards as did Josh Pugh who was inexplicably denied a try by the referee who blew for a high tackle……. to the home team!!
The rest of the half meandered a little to its close as did the Sutton team as they tried to predict the unpredictable running of the aforesaid Pugh and Chevel Taylor who covered every bit of the sward but in a zig zag!!! Therefore by half time Sutton were restricted to 10 points and Malvern 3 from a solitary penalty. Credit due to Stu McGarragle who had a fine first half at scrum half and the pack who gradually gained the upper hand, which was a pointer to a dominant display in the second half.
The second half started with Malvern in the dominance and they came close a few times but Sutton defended manfully with Vaughan Brown to the fore. As is often the case a failure to take chances leads to a concession at the other end and so it proved as James Wells scored a close range try from the base of a ruck. 15-3 became 18 -3 shortly afterwards as Morgan knocked over another penalty.
Malvern hit back as their burly centre bounced his way through a series of weak tackles and then bounced his way over the line for a try that should have been prevented, with the conversion the away team were back in it at 18-10. Sutton roused themselves from their torpor and gained ground through the dominance of the pack and territory was converted into points as skipper Steve Marshall rumbled his way to the line before inadvertently dropping the ball into the hands of Pugh who fell over the line! 23-10 with the conversion drifting wide. The game stuttered for a while with several delays while, unusually several Malvern players were treated for injuries with Harry Bamber in particular leaving a few players stunned after some big hits!!
Eventually Sutton made the game safe with the best try of the day as Taylor collected the ball deep in his own half before setting up the ball for Tom Foulsham who strode purposefully into the Malvern half with youngster Laurie Harries in support. Foulsham stood up the last defender on the 22 before slipping the perfect pass to his right where it was gleefully caught by Harries who touched down unhindered for a nice flowing try. With Morgan converting 30-10 was the convincing score Sutton deserved but the threes being the threes Malvern had the final word scoring a goal with almost the final play of the match. The ref blew for no side leaving the final score Sutton 30 Malvern 17.
With three league games remaining the men in green are back up to 4th in the league and the challenge is to stay there as Stourbridge have an unassailable lead in third place.
All in all a good performance in what was a keenly contested game.