NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION THREE
Lydney 56, Old Colfeians 9
Cinderford 19, Penzance 32
IT WAS a case of nearly but not quite for Cinderford against runaway league favourites Penzance, and a sigh of relief for Lydney as they hammered lowly Old Colfeians.
Lydney, at Regentsholme for only the second time in nine weeks, celebrated a return to their own cabbage patch by handing out a 10-try thrashing to the visitors who are destined for a spell in a lower league.
Cinderford, still in the basement but with a team everyone says is too good to be there, fought desperately hard to overcome the Cornish club. They produced a superb forward effort but were eventually outdone by the speed and ability of the Penzance backs.
Lydney's Adrian Knox, part of the club's coaching panel, was a much happier man as he summed up his team's overwhelming victory.
"They weren't the best side in the world but we played well and, of course, you still have to score the points. To be fair our forwards have not played badly all season and again we won a lot of possession – enough for the backs to play some decent rugby and show what they can do," he said.
With eight games remaining – six at home – Knox is banking on at least three wins.
"If we finish on 24 points we will be quite happy. I would like to think we can win the lot and that is not beyond us, especially if we can play as we did at the start of the season," he said.
Cinderford's director of rugby, Dennis Hargreaves, was up-beat after his team ran Penzance close.
"We were let down by a couple of mistakes, but the forwards went really well and gave an excellent account of themselves.
"At one stage we were within six points of them and an upset looked on the cards but they had a couple of breakaways," he said.
Hargreaves has targeted three 'must win' games in the coming weeks but says every game is now of vital importance.
However he is confident Cinderford can avoid the drop.
"We are scoring a lot more tries now than early in the season and we have a much more complete side," he said.