Cleve 17 Thornbury 18

Thornbury are through to the Combination Cup final following a passionate and gutsy semi-final win under floodlights at Cleve.

Thorns were by far the better side but were unable to make their superiority tell on the scoreboard and in a tense final few minutes only to score a great try to earn their place in the final.

Cleve kicked off but Thornbury’s defence was tight and after a few minutes they took play to the Cleve half.

Cleve gave away penalties and from one Jake Wood kicked the goal for a deserved 3-0 lead.

Thorns didn’t deal with the restart well and Cleve scored a try, but Thornbury returned to attacking in the Cleve ‘22’ and twice the forwards drove over from a lineout but the referee decided the ball-carrier was held up.

Then with the first half drawing to a close, Thorns regained the lead when Luke Panting was driven over from another driving lineout and they led 8-5 at the break.

Seven minutes into the second half Jim Massey held up the defence and Dan Hussey ran hard into space, drew the cover and passed to Richardson who rounded the last defender for a try. The conversion missed but Thorns were now 13-5 up.

Cleve responded well and the right wing scored following a forward drive.

With the match in the final quarter, Richardson made a break from a scrum and earned Thornbury a penalty.

Thorns again drove from a lineout and crashed over for what looked a certain try, but the referee was again unable to award the score.

With a few minutes left, Thorns needed to close out the game, but the ball went loose and Cleve charged up to the Thornbury line and the inevitable try came.

The conversion put Cleve 17-13 up.

Thornbury were now staring defeat in the face.

With the match now in stoppage time, Thornbury used their backs again.

Wood put Ben Rodriguez away and the winger made good ground before being tackled to touch ten metres out.

Tom Constable acrobatically stole the Cleve lineout and the ball was moved out where Wood created space for Harry Glew to come in at top speed on a good line that took him through the first line of defence and in for an outstanding try to make it 18-17.

There was still time to restart but Thornbury regained possession and kicked it to touch for the end of the match.

Thornbury will play Weston-super-Mare on April 25 in the final.