Spartans 13, Old Veseyans 10.

Spartans 13, Old Veseyans 10.

An almost spring day and a nearly large crowd welcomed both sides to Coppice Lane for the second meeting of the sides this season with Veseyans the in-form side, but Spartans ready to give it a go on the home turf.

The game began in a cagey manner as the sides sized each other up and both attacks probed the defences with honours pretty evenly split. Spartans launched a promising attack up the right and proved generous hosts as they served up an ideal interception for Veseyans to race in from seventy metres, but the conversion was missed and it was back to stalemate for a good while. Just as the scoreboard operator had gone for tea, Veseyans made good use of the advantage laws from a penalty and moved the ball wide and well to score in the corner, but again the kick failed and Spartans were still in touch. As the soft surface changed into a slippery one a scruffy contest began, but on the half hour the black backs scorched any remaining green grass and hit back with a fine try by Alex Garbett, well converted by Tom Hardy to leave a three point gap at half time.

The second half started where the first left off - a decent contest between the forwards and the backs offering each other admiring glances from behind the play. As the game ebbed and flowed the Men In Black shaded the battle for territory and Veseyans were forced to concede a penalty which Tom Hardy expertly bounced off the left post to level things. As the game intensified both sides turned to the bench as Veseyans looked to shore up the front row and Spartans were forced to shuffle a number of injured players. Both sides retreated to the trenches as the score stayed level, but the penalty count was starting to cost the Streetly side and from forty metres Tom Hardy this time split the uprights for his hundred per cent and Spartans were at last in front. More changes off the bench for both sides failed to change the nature of the game and the Men In Black just about managed to play in the right areas of the field to stay in control and claim a very ugly win.

Spartans finally get a well earned break on Saturday before the action resumes on Saturday 3rd March.