Leicester Lions 15 Blaydon 8
Leicester Lions 15 Blaydon 8
Blaydon went down narrowly at Westleigh Park in a game that was closely contested throughout and which could have gone either way. At the final whistle Blaydon were encamped under the lions posts and piling on the pressure but for all their efforts came away with only a losing bonus point.
Driving rain and a muddy pitch made handling difficult and it was both sets of forwards that held sway.
Leicester Lions were first to score on 14 minutes when Owen Taylor their hooker was driven over from a line-out maul, and fly-half Jonathon Boden on target with the conversion.
The home side then lost a player to the sin-bin for foul play and Blaydon immediately turned the screw. The pack stormed into the 22 with hooker Matt Thompson diving over from close range for an equalising try.
Joe Whyman failed to convert, and the lions now back to full strength regained the advantage at the other end with a powerful rolling maul from which scrum-half Tom Aviss nipped over for an unconverted score to make it 12-5 at the break.
Blaydon started the second period without Keith Laughlin their injured skipper but continued to be in contention although frequently denied by some accurate defensive kicking by the home side.
With the game in the balance and time running out Blaydon were penalised for offside and Boden stretched the home lead to 15-8 leading to the fighting finale by the visitors and a bonus point that could yet prove valuable in their bid to avoid the drop zone,
John Brennan
