A week earlier it had been Burntwood’s defensive qualities which earned them their first league point of the season – in this match at Shrewsbury it was their attacking prowess which came to the fore, running in seven tries from seven different scorers to secure a bonus point win.
The winning margin seemed very unlikely when the visitors gifted the hosts a try within the first 2 minutes. Graham Shelley’s pack turned a Shrewsbury scrum on halfway but all that did was release the home No.8 on a charge to the posts for a converted try.
Burntwood put this early setback behind them and made good progress through the forwards picking and driving deep into home territory. Several thrusts at the line were finished off by prop Rob Cartwright who touched down after 15 minutes. Matt Wood converted superbly from the touchline, a standard he kept up virtually all afternoon, only missing with one of the seven conversions on offer.
Seven minutes later scrummage ball was moved out to the backs and with the home defence stretched, Craig Seedhouse was able to dummy his way over to put his side ahead.
An infringement at the restart presented a penalty attempt to the Shrewsbury kicker but his effort drifted left of the posts as did another attempt close to half time. Inbetween these efforts, play had ebbed and flowed with skipper Shelley and Ollie Whitehouse looking threatening for Burntwood but they also had to work hard to keep the hosts out from one rare attack.
With the half time whistle about to sound, the home backs fumbled the ball in their own half. The ball was hacked downfield and a favourable bounce saw Shelley pop the ball to Amrit Derry and he in turn fed Ben Holt who crossed under the posts to make the interval scoreline 21-7.
The visitors made a bright start to the second period prompted by Seedhouse’s cross kick into the home 22. Matt Sishton went close from a promising line out move then Burntwood opted to scrum at two penalty awards.
Whitehouse drove for the line from the second to set up a maul from which Hal Gozukucuk dived over near the posts to clinch the bonus point try near the hour mark.
Burntwood then lost Mark Poole to the sin bin but during his absence it was his side which scored two tries. Derry and Wood made some big tackles to stem a re-juvenated home team before Whitehouse won turnover ball. He fed Lloyd Shelley on a run from his own 22. He passed to Wood who outstripped the last 2 defenders for a thrilling try near the corner which he also converted.
With Poole still off the field, Shrewsbury infringed on halfway. Skipper Shelley tapped the ball to Whitehouse who bounced off the home No.8 and ran in from 35 metres. This was the only try Wood failed to convert.
A demoralised home side added insult to injured pride when they lost a flanker to a red card for dissent in the closing minutes. They tried to run possession in their own 22 but fumbled allowing Nick Peplow to collect and score. Wood’s conversion was the final act of the match.
This Saturday (September 24) the 1st XV are without a game. The seconds are TBA and the Veterans are away to Lichfield – kick off 3pm.