Gloucester Premier League

St Mary’s Old Boys 14 Chipping Sodbury 20

CHIPPING Sodbury secured their second Gloucester Premier League victory of the season and remain unbeaten after victory at St Mary’s Old Boys on Saturday.

Sodbury came from behind to clinch the win after St Mary’s looked to be in charge at half-time.

But the game changed when Old Boys’ lock Jack Jack Farler was sent off for a dangerous high tackle, leading with his elbow, to the head of a Sodbury player after fifty minutes.

St Mary’s, who had beaten Chipping Sodbury by just a few points last season, took the lead early on when they were awarded a penalty just metres from the visiting try-line.

Big centre Dan Brooker slotted the simple three points and Sodbury’s challenge to win increased after eight minutes when wing Mason Ball went over from a few metres on the left wing.

Brooker, whose big kicks both towards the posts and to touch were a hallmark of the match, missed the touchline conversion but St Mary’s were on top and Sodbury knew they were in for a battle.

Sodbury’s scrum also let them down at times as St Mary’s pack drove them backwards on a couple of occasions.

But the visiting back division came good after half-an-hour when fly-half Dan Bradley put flanker Tom Farthing in for a try.

Centre Jon Cook missed the touchline conversion but the try put Sodbury back to within three points. That did not last long, however, as another infringement gave Brooker a long-range chance at a penalty.

Distance was no object for the centre as his mighty boot landed the forty-metre attempt.

And, in a frantic last five minutes of the half, Brooker missed a 35 metre penalty before Sodbury nearly scored a second try when wing Raffi Sheikh went in at the corner. But the try was disallowed for a forward pass, with Sheikh also dropping the ball as he attempted to ground it as well.

However, Sodbury did get their reward for pressure in the home half when St Mary’s infringed and Cook landed a simple twenty metre kick for an 11-8 half-time score.

Within minutes of the re-start, Sodbury had taken the lead. Centre Dom Pullen and Cook charged into the home 22 on the left before replacement Joe Horton grabbed a pass from Cook to go in at the corner.

A big touchline conversion from Cook sailed between the posts and Sodbury found themselves in the lead for the first time at 15-11.

Then came the moment of madness from Farler as, just on the edge of his own 22, he recklessly held up his elbow for to smash into a Sodbury player’s face. The referee had no hesitation in bringing out a red card straight from his pocket.

It meant St Mary’s needed to battle back for the final half-hour with a man down.

Sodbury increased the pressure on the home side when the pack put themselves on the St Mary’s line for ex-Old Boys man Ryan Holford to take a pass on the blindside and squeeze over from five metres.

Cook missed the conversion and that seemed to be it. But St Mary’s bravely battled for a losing bonus point as the clock reached injury time and, five minutes into the added period, they got it when Sodbury infringed and Brooker popped over a 15 metre penalty.

However, the win now puts Chipping Sodbury into third place in the table and just a point behind second-placed Barton Hill, whom they play at home a week on Saturday.