Battling Tigers are edged out

Ely II 12

West Norfolk II 13

DESPITE defending superbly, the Ely second-string were edged out.

West Norfolk's powerful pack put the Tigers under immense pressure from the start, but a combination of strong defending and poor decision-making from West Norfolk kept it scoreless in the early stages.

Ely's scrum was as solid as ever but with several key players in first-team action, line-out ball was often untidy.

The first half was becoming a one-sided affair with the Tigers on the back foot and conceding penalties, and they were reduced to 14 men when their scrum-half was sin-binned for an infringement at a ruck.

West Norfolk took advantage in the last 15 minutes of the half when a big prop crashed over the line and they took this 5-0 lead into the break.

The second half began with the Tigers applying pressure in West Norfolk's 22-metre area.

When the Ely forwards rushed the fly-half's space and caused a fumble, the ball skewed sideways, and open-side flanker Alex Ferrintinos gathered the ball on the run and outpaced the defence to score. Ed Fahy converted to give the Tigers an unlikely 7-5 lead.

West Norfolk came back hard and went into a 10-7 lead when the Tigers defence was breached around the side of ruck, allowing a member of the second row to score.

Ely hit back with a great try, which started with a move in their own 22-metre area.

Line-out ball off the top was passed down the back line to Jimmy Gilborn, who beat his opposing winger and outpaced the chasers into the opposition 22-metre area, drew in the full-back and a covering defender, and passed to the supporting Fahy to put Ely 12-10 ahead.

However, a penalty kick gave the visitors a narrow win.

Director of Ely Rugby Club Terry Moore said: "The Tigers defence was immense, as West Norfolk had 90-95 per cent of the ball and territory.

"Our backs always looked capable of out-running the opposition but they had little ball.