Midsomer Norton Seconds played host to Weston-super-Mare Thirds in conditions much different to those that the two played in earlier this season, but the result was the same.
On a wet, windy, day at Norton Down, the hosts began solely with the aim of utilising their superiority in the pack. This started immediately, with Richard Slater putting Norton in the ‘Mendip corner’ and Midsomer Norton dominated the resulting scrum on the Weston five metre line. After a few more strong phases from the forwards, a sniping Jack Johnson went over the whitewash. Slater added the conversion to make it 7–0.
Slater’s kicking continued to pin the opposition within their own 22 and no matter how hard the visitors attempted to deal with the pack, Weston could not cope with the front row and were forced to walk back five meters at almost every scrum.
Clever kicks to touch proved a strong tactic with Norton dominating the line-out thanks to a combination of Joe Knights’ strong jumping in the second row and the visitors’ hooker struggling to throw straight in the blustery conditions. Norton managed another score in the first half, a well worked offload from Tom Powney helped to release the young gun Luke Murphy, who battered his way through the tiger-like defence. Slater was again on target with the boots taking the score at half-time to 14–0.
Norton were expecting a hard second half uphill and against the wind. Something which wasn’t helped by Kemar Stewart being sin binned within a minute of coming on to the pitch after not retreating to ten when the opposition took a quick tap penalty. Whilst centres, Powney and Murphy, offered much with the ball, they had nothing to do in defence as Weston-super-Mare’s backline failed to get the ball beyond ten.
A strong back row performance from Norton ensured that Weston’s forwards did not penetrate Norton’s iron wall defence in the second half and Norton won this clash to provide breathing space at the top of North Somerset Two.