Blaydon winning streak come to an end

 [match id=116]

Blaydon’s season disappointingly ended exactly as it began, with a thumping defeat at the hands of Loughborough Students. Needing a win to escape the relegation zone the Students dominated from the start and were 21 points clear after just 23 minutes, capitalising on a series of errors by a lacklustre Blaydon side.

Full-back Jack Pons scored their opener when his opposite number Nathan Bailey failed to collect a high ball and then Rhys Owen raced clear when the visitors coughed up possession at a driving maul.

A Freddie Pierrepoint effort from another mistake completed the early scoring with Alex Davis converting all 3 efforts at which point things really went downhill for Blaydon with three key players succumbing to injury before the break.

Skipper Keith Laughlin pulled back 5 points from a catch and drive but much of the half had been one-way traffic for the Students.

Davis was on target with a penalty to make it 24-5 early in the second period but Blaydon gradually got back into it and were rewarded with a second try when they kept possession through several phases before prop forward Robert Morris popped up at outside centre to run in his first score for the club.

Loughborough fittingly had the last word however when the visitors lost the ball on the try line and Davis ran the length of the field to secure a bonus point score just as he had on the opening day at Crow Trees.

John Brennan