SHREWSBURY took their chances well to inflict Burntwood’s biggest loss of the season so far.
The hosts were ahead as early as the second minute. A kick wide left was only parried, allowing the left winger to dribble over the line for an unconverted try.
Shrewsbury had the better of the play, but Burntwood’s defence held until a clearance kick on 20 minutes was run back from halfway for the right winger to outstrip the cover defence for a try superbly converted from the touchline.
After these early gifts, the home side’s next score nine minutes later was all their own work. From a scrum in the visiting 22, they pulled the defence right and then back left for a try wide out, although the grounding was disputed by those nearest.
Better phases by Burntwood saw them move upfield, but the ground gained was hard-earned against some solid tackling. They were not helped when they lost Alfie Broadurst with a hand injury which saw Matt Wenlock-Evans replace him and forced a reshuffle in the back line.
However, five minutes from half time, Kian Carter got his side off the mark with a fine individual try, exploiting a gap and speeding to the line.
Right on the break, the hosts pressured the home line. From the second of two penalty awards, the Shrewsbury scrum half tapped and dived over for a converted try.
Harry Heath and Jacob Sonderlo provided fresh legs for Burntwood to replace Alan Mapp and Tye O’Connor – and the side seemed to have reduced the arrears on 54 minutes. Luke Rookyard’s run earned a penalty which Brett Taylor tapped and ran. Josh Canning seemed to have scored, but his effort was ruled out.
The miss proved more costly when Shrewsbury broke away upfield for the winger to kick ahead for a support player to touch down for a converted try.
Burntwood were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat when the hosts made it 38-5 on 59 minutes. A loose line out was seized on by the hosts to feed their backs and the scorer sprinted in for a fine individual try.
Carter found a good touchline from a penalty award for his side to win a line out and then a scrum. Sam Perrins picked up well at number eight to drive ahead, but the move ended in a yellow card for the home tight head prop for a high tackle on Clements. The subsequent penalty was tapped and Heath forced his way over in the left corner.
Heath was in again in similar fashion five minutes later after Carter had put his side in good field position with a penalty kick and then a slicing run close to the line to win another penalty. Taylor, in his last game for the club before emigrating to New Zealand kicked the conversion.
Shrewsbury still had the final say, however, with an attack over halfway in additional time. The left winger showed a clean pair of heels to race in under the posts for a converted try to end the contest.
Elsewhere, the normally free-scoring second XV drew a blank away to Essington to lose 22-0.
Fielding a side missing players in key positions, they had chances to open their account but it proved to be one of those days for Dan Black’s side.