This resounding victory, plus other results and outstanding fixtures involving fellow relegation candidates, notably Peterborough, means that operation survival in National Three Midlands is still afloat, although it may take the presence of Harry Houdini in the Kenilworth XV to accomplish the task. Building upon last week's success, this was an impressive performance by the home side, with both forwards and backs showing great determination and skill in overcoming their mid-table opponents (writes Bob Jones).
For once getting the upper hand from the kick-off, Kenilworth suffered an early blow when Steve Clarke was forced to retire with an ankle injury after five minutes, Will Maisey replacing him. This did not deflect their progress, and with the pack beginning to dominate, a penalty goal by Adam Canning, awarded by referee Dean Walker, after failure to roll away, opened the scoring on seven minutes. The Ks were bent on all-out attack, with Jonathon Cresswell, Mike Rust, Dave Clements and Jimmy Middleton prominent. Canning added a second penalty on the quarter-hour,when the ON's, struggling to get into the game, strayed offside. An attacking mode must be accompanied by sound defence. Failure of the latter has been Kenilworth's Achilles Heel this season, and it surfaced three minutes later. A catch in his own 22 by full-back Will Kingston, who along with scrum-half Matt Ireland and lock Dan Falvey, were a constant threat with ball in hand, saw it transferred to Falvey, who proceeded to both outstrip and brush off the cover to touch down for an unconverted try. However, the Ks were in no mood to lie down and a Canning break, followed by a powerful drive by the forwards, with Nick Lake in the van, set up a move that was finished in style by Maisey, with Canning adding an excellent conversion from out wide after 22 minutes. Two minutes later, Canning, alert as ever, snapped up a loose pass by the opposition and crossed for an unconverted try. A superb touch-finder by Canning then set up the pack for another huge drive, which culminated in a try for Cresswell, converted by Canning on the half-hour. Immediately, cue more defensive lapses by Kenilworth. First, Ireland jinked across-field without a hand laid on him and then fired what was a blatant forward pass. Waiting for a whistle that did not materialize, the home side looked on as Falvey charged over for his second try that Kingston converted. Four minutes later, it was Kingston's turn to benefit from a defensive walkabout, punishing this with an unconverted try, which made the score 25-17. Once more, the Ks returned to the offensive, with the flying Rust forced into touch as the line beckoned. In the concluding minutes of the half, ON's won a couple of penalties that were dispatched deep into home territory by fly-half Ross Kevan. However, the ensuing close-quarter exchanges were dominated by the Ks, with on one occasion, Lake securing a great turnover to avert danger.
Hell-bent on maintaining control, Kenilworth opened the second half by first repelling some advances by the visitors, then stretching their lead with a try by Maisey, which owed much to an incisive break by Ekard Jacobs. Superiority by the pack was no better exemplified by a commanding performance at the lineout by Luke Watts, and the loose by Nick Collett and Rob Smith. Clements, whose brave runs had hitherto been bottled up, at last found a way through, and showing both pace and guile, crossed under the posts, Canning adding the extras on 10 minutes. ON's periodically showed touches of class, notably when winger Richard Blank superbly caught a kick by Kevan, and with a clear run to the line in prospect, saw the ball go to ground. Bobby Thomson was withdrawn in favour of Jack Gibson as the game was about to enter its final quarter. The irrepressible Canning dropped a goal on 27 minutes to stretch the home lead to 23 points, but it was ON's who scored last, Kingston sending Ireland on his way to the line for an unconverted try. Jamie Peacock replaced Rob Bennett for the final ten minutes, during which a series of penalties were exchanged. From one of these, Canning hit an upright. As Mr Walker sounded the final whistle, fittingly, it was Kenilworth on the attack, with Rust directing operations.
Kenilworth: Llewellyn, Cresswell, Collett, Lake, Smith, Roberts, Watts, Thompson, Bennett, Canning, Middleton, Clarke, Jacobs, Rust, Clements. Replacements: Gibson, Peacock, Maisey.