Blaydon secure maximum points – Blaydon 45, Cinderford 25

Blaydon took another giant step towards securing their National League One status with this 7 try blitz of second bottom Cinderford, which could have been better but for being caught cold at the start of each half.
They are now 15 points clear of the bottom three and with just 3 games to go need just 1 more point to guarantee safety.
Cinderford, with possibly a bleak future ahead of them, never stopped trying in the face of some blistering Blaydon attacks, at one stage in the second period reducing their deficit to 24-20. Director of rugby Micky Ward said afterwards “I knew my old mate Adam Balding (ex Newcastle Falcons) would get his lads up for it, we shouldn’t have switched off after half-time”
Cinderford fly-half Tiff Eden put over a 4th minute penalty and then after some aimless kicking by the home side took full advantage when Blaydon threw long at a line-out on their own 22 and lost possession. Josh Adams touched down, Eden converted, and Blaydon, 10 points adrift could have been in trouble.
But not for long. Spurred into action they stormed the Cinderford line and when Milo Reynolds pulled down a driving maul (yellow carded) the writing was on the wall.
Second-row Will Witty stormed over when they moved it wide and 5 minutes later repeated the score, this time with a smart piece of work to pick up and blast through a convenient gap. Fly-half Brett Connon made it three, all during the sin-bin period, and just before the break Cinderford were yet again in full retreat when they infringed and a bonus point penalty try was awarded.
Cinderford came out fighting and within a minute winger Nigel Baker had gone clear from his own half and an Eden conversion and penalty took them to within 4 points of the home side.
Once again however the revival was quickly snuffed out with firstly Tom Rock finishing off a smart move and then Chris Wearmouth touching down after a superb break by Nathan Horsfall.
Adams grabbed his second in a Cinderford breakaway but Blaydon deservedly had the final word when replacement Jack Davison scored his first for the club when the pack pushed the opposition scrum against the head back over their own line.

John Brennan