SHREWSBURY 1ST XV vs STAFFORD 1ST XV. 30TH SEPTEMBER 2017. LEAGUE MATCH.

Shrewsbury 15 – 3 Stafford

Stafford travelled across the border into Shropshire for the third league game of the season. Sporadic heavy rain provided a slippery playing for the match but the visiting supporters received a warm welcome from the club.

Early clashes saw a greasy ball flying out of hands and skidding across the pitch for both teams. Neither side could gain a significant advantage, but it was a minor mistake by Stafford pounced on by a vigilant Shrewsbury that led to the first try of the afternoon. The visitor’s response was brutal as they pinned the hosts on their own line from the restart. Several punishing assaults came close, until Tom Williams crashed across the line but the referee ruled the ball held up. Stafford had to settle for a penalty which was slotted through the posts by the boot of Louis Dewsbury to cut the deficit. Stafford were disrupted by a double injury which led to Cal Jones & Dean Fuggle being helped off the pitch and out of the match for the afternoon. As the visitors reorganised a Shrewsbury penalty snatched back a seven-point lead and closed the half. Stafford went into half time trailing 10 – 3 but fighting hard in a close encounter.

The rain intensified for the start of the second half and a slippery surface threatened to become a quagmire in places, but in a testament to Shrewsbury the ground looked to hold up well. Both teams struggled to find continuity in difficult conditions with the hosts leaning on their home field advantage to remain well organised. Two Shrewsbury penalties should have stretched the lead but couldn’t find their way through the posts. The half appeared to be dwindling towards an exhausting end, when a loose ball squirted through several pairs of hands and was secured by Shrewsbury for the only try of the half.