Match Report: Caldy 15-17 Coventry Rugby

Liam Richman held his nerve to kick the 78^th-minute penalty that edged Coventry to a heart-stopping 15-17 win at Caldy.

After trailing by two points at half-time, the battling bottom-of-the-table hosts twice led table-topping Cov and seemed likely to break their seasonal duck before the visitors’ Aussie no.10 delivered the late coup-de-grace with an angled 30-metre penalty.

Despite finishing in the lower reaches of the Championship table last season, Caldy claimed the scalps of eventual winners Ealing, third-placed Cov and full-professional Doncaster at their Paton Field stronghold.

Alex Rae’s team therefore knew what to expect – and they got it and more – from a committed home side whose forwards produced an outstanding display which pushed Coventry’s unbeaten record to the brink.

This result means Cov go into the Premiership Rugby Cup break with a perfect five-from-five record and two points clear of Ealing at the top of the table.

With Tiki Nayalo carrying strongly, Coventry created two try-scoring opportunities in the opening ten minutes only to twice spill possession inside the home 22 when the last pass failed to find its intended target.

And as a result Alex Rae’s team trailed for the first time this season at the half-hour mark after winger Mike Cartmill got on Tristan Woodman’s shoulder and went over for a try after Cov missed a tackle at the back of a lineout.

Lewis Barker failed to add the conversion which meant the visitors nudged in front five minutes later when Richman upgraded a fine Tom Hitchcock score created by Nayalo’s break and Tom Ball’s support.

Cov were now settling to their task and after Josh Barton spotted a gap and tapped a penalty deep inside the home 22, Caldy’s nearest defender Matt Gallagher was despatched to the sin bin for not retiring ten metres.

Despite being a player light the home forwards continued to compete strongly and Rae introduced four fresh faces into his front five at the start of the second half with the whole bench subsequently being part of the action by the hour mark.

The Blue-and-Whites were unable to make their temporary numerical superiority count in the early stages of the second half and soon after being restored to full strength the home side retook the lead when replacement hooker Ollie Hearn applied the finishing touch to a powerful lineout maul.

Barker’s conversion left Caldy with a 12-7 advantage as the contest entered the final quarter only for Cov to pile pressure on their line from a series of close-range penalties.

A try seemed inevitable, and with the outstanding Matt Kvesic very much to the fore the visitors eventually shunted 19-year-old debutant Dan Green over for a score which following the addition of Richman’s conversion edged Cov back in front.

The contest was still on a knife-edge going into the closing minutes and when Cov were penalised for a high tackle, Barker slotted the well-struck 35-metre penalty that saw the lead change hands for a fourth time.

But enough time remained for one last twist. Fittingly it was Kvesic and Ball who combined to steal possession at a midfield maul and after David Opoku made ground into the home 22 Caldy were penalised at the breakdown and the nerveless Richman summoned the tee and did the rest.

Line-Ups:

Caldy: Kilcourse; Royle, Bedlow, Wilkinson, Cartmill; Barker, Wynn (Murray 77); Weatherby (Rushton 50), Gallagher (Hearn 48), Sproston (Aigbokhre 50); Burrow, Sanders; Olyott (Hearn 38-48), Woodman, Dickinson

Replacements: Parry, Ridgway, Barlow, Mitchell

Coventry: Robson; Martin (Opoku 60), Tiueti, Hitchcock, Hutler; Richman, Barton (Lane 56); Warren (Summerfield 40), Poole (Ma’asi 40), Nairau (Johnson 39); Nkwocha (Green 60), Nayalo (Tyas 40); Kvesic, Hinkley (Okeke 60), Ball

Referee: Ian Tempest

Half-Time: Caldy 5-7 Coventry Rugby

Scorers:

Caldy:

Tries: Cartmill (24), Hearn (59)

Conversions: Barker (59)

Penalty: Barker (75)

Coventry:

Tries: Hitchcock (29), Green (68)

Conversions: Richman (29) (68)

Penalty: Richman (79)