LICHFIELD were not at their fluent best but still managed to get over the line to record a 20-19 victory at Banbury.
The home side edged the try count three to two, but the visitors were 100% with their kicks and took six points from penalties.
The game had been scoreless until the end of the first quarter and Charlie Cranley was the architect of the opening try for Banbury, escaping down the right wing and grub kicking through for Chad Daniels to score.
The visitors responded positively and almost immediately they were advancing into the left hand corner. Charlie Milner eventually forced his way over for Kai Lucas-Dumolo to convert.
A lot of the subsequent first half play was in midfield with defences definitely on top and so a penalty in front of the posts was gratefully kicked by Lucas-Dumolo to make it 10-5.
Lichfield started the second period looking more comfortable and Milner was soon arrowing a penalty through the posts from distance and the game was progressing nicely for the visitors at 13-5.
This continued until around the hour mark, when an errant kick ahead found Cranley on his own, 70 metres out with 29 players and a referee in front of him. But he weaved his way through several attempted tackles to score under the posts and Oliver Nicholl converted.
The score woke Banbury up and it was not a total surprise when they scored try number three following a five-metre line out from hooker Ethan Gudge. Nicholl added the extras from wide out.
Lichfield responded sensibly and with purpose and they managed to camp down the opposite end for the next five minutes with the forwards gradually grounding down the home rearguard so much so that captain Kieran Reynolds was able to drive through a ruck to score the winning try, converted by Lucas-Dumolo.
Looking fitter than their hosts, the Myrtle Greens comfortably held out in the final minutes for a deserved victory on their first ever meeting with Banbury, earning themselves four points.
Elsewhere, Lichfield 2nds travelled along the A5 to take on Cannock and returned with a comfortable win.
Playing up the slope in the first half, Harry McDonough opened the scoring for the visitors within the first ten minutes, with Adam Spinner adding the conversion.
Cannock were back level ten minutes later with their own converted try, taking advantage of scrummaging down the slope.
Lichfield then got two quick scores within a five minute period with tries for Reiss Tew and then Kieran Higgins. Adam Spinner again added a conversion.
The final ten minutes of the first half saw Cannock score from a penalty to end the half 10-19.
Lichfield made their substitutions at half time – and within five minutes debutant Ben Miles had scored. Lucas Laing followed this up for the Myrtle Greens shortly afterwards. Spinner converted again before Mike Davis added another try for the visitors.
The visitors’ seventh try of the afternoon went to Kieran Higgins, who enjoyed a brace for the day.
The final ten minutes belonged to the home side as Cannock scored a try again – and then in the closing minutes were awarded a penalty try for poor discipline from Lichfield as the game finished 24-41.