Another impressive win for A's

Some might of wondered at the team selection especially in the backline this week however Head Coach Jon Arch said it was the easiest selection of the season "...When you only have 6 backs and 1 more coming back from a long term injury available, selection in the backline is easy !" he said with a smile on his face.

To be fair to a much changed Essington side - apart from the first 10 minutes when they attacked with gusto, this was a game Aldridge were very much in command of throughout. The first Aldridge try was a real team effort with first Ashley Lower then Danny Mac hitting another hard line in the 10/12 channel and offloading to the evergreen Alex Reed to take on, quick ruck ball followed and then following quick hands from Lewis Underwood, Ryan Bowen and Ben Tal in an unaccustomed position on the wing, the ball was chipped ahead and Lewis stole over for the first try. With no Alex Yates or Adam Reed, Number 8 Josh Reynolds slotted the conversion much to the surprise of many from near the touchline.

With the line-out functioning well and Adam Butler pinching his fair share off the opposition, and a returning Ed Tonks providing a real physical presence around the pitch, Aldridge were very much in the ascendancy and following another strong passage of play from the forwards Scrum Half Lea Ross powered over for a converted try just before half time. However Aldridge

Despite a Essington Penalty and a Try very much against the run of play to bring the scored to 14 - 8 Aldridge started the second half much the stronger with Ben Drinkwater powering over following a clever kick and chase (unconverted) after a great run from replacement wing forward Richard Mills. Veteran Centre Ben Pittam was then put through by fellow centre Ryan Bowen and cut through the Essington defence to score in the corner to take the score to 24 - 8. The final score of the game came from Number 8 Josh Reynolds who carried at least 3 Essington defenders over for the final score of the game despite being down to 14 men again following Ryan Bowens yellow card.

Head Coach Jon Arch... "At no point did I think we would lose the game - the team is now full of leaders who know how to remain in control of a game even when the opposition have the ball. The players have the freedom to play without fear now and that came across in the tries we scored. To think the backline was short of Adam Reed, Adam Morris, and Alex Yates - yet we still played a very expansive and entertaining style. Ashley Lowe stepped up from the 2's at Full back and played superbly, as did Richard Mills who dropped into the back row following Adam Butlers injury. To finally give young Jake Hardeker his first team debut was a big moment for him and for the club itself - Jake is the future of this club!"