By John Wilkinson Tom Little’s review of the rest of last weekend’s National League One action
Caldy 1 2 (0) 55 (5) Coventry Rugby attendance 540
Cambridge 15 (0) 25 (4) Darlington Mowden Park 331
Plymouth Albion 17 (4) 10 (1) Bishop’s Stortford 671
THE catch-up week saw Coventry Rugby duly crowned champions with both Darlington Mowden Park and Plymouth Albion unable to get the try bonus point required to even delay the inevitable for a few hours.
Second-placed Darlington Mowden Park travelled to a Cambridge side in urgent need of a win to keep them out of the relegation mix. A combination of not taking chances and poor discipline led to a home deficit at half-time of 12-3. A better start to the second period saw a Cambridge fight back nullified later by conceding too many penalties and DMP taking their chances. At the death Cambridge were denied a losing bonus point as Park kicked a penalty. DMP stay in second place but Cambridge, who remain 11th, are only ten points ahead of the second relegation place with no games in hand.
Despite wintery conditions and a depleted team, Plymouth Albion maintained their unbeaten home record in a close-run affair against Bishop’s Stortford. Two first-half tries gave BS a deserved half-time lead of 10-7, but the greater experience of the home side told as Albion took the lead in the second half and never looked like relinquishing it. The win was enough to move Albion up to third place, five points behind DMP and with a game in hand.
