Aldridge beat Chaddesley Corbett in the league

We’d posted a comfortable victory when we’d visited Chaddesley Corbett in the NM plate competition a couple of weeks ago and the start we made in last Saturday's league encounter suggested more of the same. It required less than a minute to post our first score - from the kick-off, some slick handling through numerous pairs of hands swept the ball up to the visitors line with debutante lock Dan Lastun getting the touch-down between the posts. Fullback Alex Yates added the conversion. The expected onslaught didn’t materialise though as we continued with an enterprising “quick hands” game plan, which, although making some spectacular inroads was becoming increasingly frustrated by a high error count. Fifteen minutes in, a penalty from full back Rob Burton reduced the deficit for the visitors as they began to claim more of the game. Winger Jacob Holding eventually crossed mid way through to help ease our frustration Yates added the conversion and ten minutes later added a penalty to provide a more comfortable looking cushion. Chaddesley kept going and with some rugged forward play established a platform which led to Burton crossing in the corner– also converting to reduce the deficit to one score (17 - 10) at the interval.
The second half belonged to us as we slowly gained the ascendancy by continuing to move the ball through the hands to attack from deep positions. Four tries were scored – centre Dean Platts crossed out wide and a fine individual effort by No 9 Adam Reed, breaking blind from the base of a scrum on half-way and out sprinting the cover to the line. No10 Harry Baldock converted both to clinch the bonus points and effectively finish off the contest. A crop of injuries robbed the visitors of their subs bench and the last ten minutes featured uncontested scrums. A second try from Rob Burton for Chaddesley reduced deficit but the match was finally put to bed with a brace of tries by Aldridge No8 Chris Balmforth in the last five minutes.

Jim Chambers