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MOSELEY: Binns (Bressington, 61), Sharples, Adams, Trueman
(Cox, 40), Norton, MacDonald, Ireland (Taylor, 61); Sigley, Caves (McMillan,
61), Forster (Buxton, 61), Arnold (Atkinson, 41), Tuohy (Stott, 61), Mason,
Bignell, Evans. NOTTINGHAM: Tonks (Nirmalendran, 54), Savage, Smith,
Molenarr, Dodge (Jackson, 52), Thompson, Usasz (Pilgrim, 52); Parr (Hopkins,
46), Duffey (Loney, 54), Hall (Powkes, 59), Morley, Rouse, Raven, Hammond,
Montagu.
Referee: Roy Maybank (RFU).
SCORERS: Moseley – tries Norton (2), McMillan (2); conversions:
MacDonald (2); penalty: MacDonald.
Nottingham – tries: Savage (2), Molenarr, Thompson (2), Tonks; conversions:
Tonks (3).
Four-try haul Not enough for Mose - Sunday Mercury
TWO tries apiece for wing Dan Norton and replacement hooker Ross McMillan
were not enough to bring home the spoils for Moseley against Nottingham at a
bitterly cold Billesley Common yesterday.
The East Midlanders were helped though by being awarded a try that never was
and some powder puff Moseley defending in the first half.
Moseley took the game to Nottingham from the off and twice spurned kickable
penalty chances for the potentially more profitable balls into the corner
for a catch and drive.
But with nothing to show for it, it looked as if Nottingham could make them
pay with a rapid sweeping break into Moseley territory for the first time.
A sloppy pass was intercepted by wing Dan Norton though just outside his own
22 and after side-stepping fullback Gregory Tonks it was just a race for the
line – and Norton is fast.
He went in under the posts and fly half Greg MacDonald made it 7-0 for the
ideal start.
Five minutes later though and a harsh penalty for crossing saw Nottingham
break again. Full back Andy Binns made a last ditch tackle on the line but
the ball was quickly out for wing Andy Savage for go over for an unconverted
try.
A MacDonald penalty increased the lead to 10-5 but Moseley fumbled the ball
from the restart and once again Nottingham sliced though the midfield with
Savage scoring his second, again unconverted, in the corner. Two attacks had
brought two tries.
Feed In the 27th minutes another poor Nottingham pass saw centre Jack Adams
kick ahead from his own half, collect and then feed Norton to go in under
the posts again for his second and MacDonald made it 17-10.
Three minutes later though and Nottingham again managed to evade the
midfield defence and centre Tim Molenarr dived over the remnants of a ruck
to go in at the corner – although most observers would agree that it looked
suspiciously like the ball was dropped and never grounded.
Tonks added the conversion and then in injury time the ball came out of a
rolling maul for No 10 Ben Thompson to go over by the posts and Moseley were
24-17 down at the break.
It became worse for Moseley within a minute of the restart when a Binns
clearance was charged down and scrum half Jimmy Ireland was harshly judged
to have pulled back a Nottingham attacker and yellow carded.
With Ireland missing, Thompson found his way over again and Tonks was
finding his range to make it 31-17.
Two minutes later another break and this time Tonks was over for an
unconverted try.
Moseley regrouped though and with a penalty into the corner for killing the
ball – which also saw a yellow card for Nottingham skipper, flanker Craig
Hammond – coach Ian Smith rang the changes with replacement hooker McMillan
joining the fray.
Within seconds he was forced over and Moseley were back in the game at
36-22.
Eighth minutes later and another catch and drive and McMillan had his second
in less than ten minutes.
MacDonald again missed the kick which would have given a losing bonus but
with five minutes of injury time gone Moseley had a penalty which appeared
to be on the 22 in front of the posts – a bread and butter kick for a bonus
point.
Until referee Roy Maybank decided the kick was 20 metres nearer the
touchline and MacDonald put the kick and the bonus wide.
The result leaves Moseley still looking over their shoulder with the local
derby at Sharmans Cross Road against Pertemps Bees next week's Christmas
cracker.
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