RUGBY: A case of slender margins for March Bears in St Neots league defeat
March Bears in action against St Neots. Pictures: MARCH BEARS - Credit: Archant
It was a case of slender margins for March Bears at the weekend in Division Two West of the Eastern Counties League on Saturday.
March Bears in action against St Neots. Pictures: MARCH BEARS - Credit: Archant
The Bears travelled to St Neots with a depleted side and mustered the bare 15 players and one substitute, including the club president, as well as including several veteran players.
For 63 minutes, March held the upper hand but with their opponents able to use five substitutes, tired legs plus an unnecessary red card proved to be their undoing.
March scored one unconverted try after 11 minutes, Smith finishing off a good backs move.
Next came Porter kicking through and gathering to make it 10-0 after 25 minutes.
St Neots' no.1, who was a driving force all afternoon, went over under the posts followed by a second try which was converted to give the hosts a 12-10 lead.
The try of the afternoon arrived on the stroke of the half-time, Brooks gathering behind his own line before putting in an excellent clearing kick, which Smith followed up and went over in what was more than a 100-yard try.
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Having gone into the break five points behind, St Neots produced their best move of the afternoon to level the scores at 17-17 with an unconverted try.
But again, March came back with an impressive scrum turnover and Smooth went over the complete his hat-trick.
The Fenland side were hanging on for the remaining 15 minutes after Aspinwall was sent off for serious foul play, but their resistance was broken after another try following a series of penalties.
St Neots made the victory safe with a try two minutes later as their second row powered over the line.
It didn't look possible that the score would be added to with the referee indicating 30 seconds left to play, but Porter was fed after Brooks took a cheeky quick kick off to go over in the corner, followed by enormous drop kick conversion from Brooks.
But that proved to be the last action with March going down by the smallest of margins, one conversion the difference in a 31-29 defeat for the Bears.
March welcome Sawston to Elm Road next Saturday (February 8), 2.30pm.
