Midsomer Norton Rugby Club's First team travelled to Bristol to face undefeated league leaders, Barton Hill, on Saturday, and put in an excellent performance to earn an unexpected win.
The Norton players put the home side under pressure from the start, forcing them to play in their own half for the majority of the first period. The visitors soon turned the pressure into points when centre, Alex Mitchard, scored under the posts after the forwards provided good quick ball.
Shortly after, second row, Ben Parker, was sin binned. He was adjudged to have tackled the Barton Hill scrum half from an offside position after he had taken a quick tap penalty. With Norton down to fourteen men, Barton Hill took advantage and scored a converted try.
Ben Moon took Norton back into the lead with a penalty after Barton Hill's backs were caught offside. The rest of the half saw Norton in control with Moon, Taylor and Mitchard keeping Barton Hill in their own half with a number of probing kicks to touch.
The visitors went into half-time with a well-deserved 7–10 lead.
Following the break, Barton Hill came out all guns blazing, getting their big forwards running at pace, but Norton's defence stood strong. Norton's hooker, Dan Backhurst, was sin binned for playing the ball on the floor in a breakdown and again, Barton Hill were able to take advantage of the extra man to score. This gave Barton Hill new hope and extended their lead to 15–10 through a penalty.
Norton responded with a try through their Captain after a fine catch and drive from a line-out. Barton Hill continued to pressurise Norton, but the team refused to take a backward step and competed in all phases of the game. Prop, Dan Jenner, had to leave the field on unstable legs after receiving a blow to the head in a ruck.
The last ten minutes of the game saw Barton Hill pressurising the Norton try line and putting the visitors' scrummage under a lot of pressure. The referee awarded a penalty from which the home side chose another scrum, only for Norton to drive their opposition clean off the ball and clear their lines.
With two minutes to go, a penalty allowed fly-half, Ben Taylor, to kick to touch deep into the home side's twenty-two. Norton won the line-out and drove over the line for Captain, Matthew Denning, to ground the ball. The referee was unsighted, however, so awarded a scrum, rather than the try.
From the scrum, the home side's backs were too eager to defend and were caught offside and Ben Moon calmly kicked the penalty to win the game and collect the scalp of the league leaders.