A HECTIC finale saw Burntwood let a nine-point lead slip as they narrowly missed out on snatching something from the game with the final kick at Veseyans.
The fourth-placed hosts, looking for their fourth win on the trot, made the ideal start as they half charged a clearance kick down to collect possession and cross the line wide on the right for 5-0 inside the first minute.
Enterprising play by both sides in the opening quarter was met with sound defence until the visitors went ahead on 21 minutes. Penalty awards allowed Kian Carter to find touch in the right corner. The line out possession was messy, but the ball was moved to the blind side for Josh Canning to score and Carter to convert from the touchline.
Further penalties combined with a strong set piece kept Burntwood in the opposition half, but a clearance kick took a fortuitous bounce to provide a line out close to the visitors’ try line. Veseyans won possession and moved infield for a converted try under the posts right on half-time.
The hosts enjoyed a spell of play in the opposition half in the opening ten minutes of the second period, but they had a pass intercepted by Carter on his own 22 line and he outpaced the cover to run the length of the field for a try under the posts. He also converted for a 14-12 lead.
The next ten minutes belonged to Veseyans. More than once they were denied close to the line by a determined defensive effort.
However, Burntwood went further ahead on 66 minutes when a strong scrummage allowed Dan Clements to hack downfield to put the hosts in trouble. Another solid scrum provided good ball to Carter and his kick to the right wing was palmed back by Aidan Barker for Ben Finney to go in for the try. Carter added another fine conversion.
The game took a dramatic turn on 74 minutes. Carter’s touch kick found good ground deep in the Veseyans’ half, but a quickly taken line out had the hosts away down the right touchline for an unconverted try in the corner.
Three minutes later and the hosts were ahead following a line out on the left. Possession was moved swiftly across field for a fine try which was also superbly converted from the touchline to make it 24-21.
A penalty at the restart saw Carter level the scores with a kick from the home ten-metre line and that seemed to be it as the 80 minutes were up, but Veseyans re-gathered the restart kick and two passes later they were in for another try in the right corner which was again superbly converted.
Yet another twist followed though when Finney gathered possession from the restart to take play deep into the home 22. A succession of penalties followed as Veseyans defended desperately under their posts. Burntwood were forced wide and Barker touched down in the right corner, but Carter couldn’t quite provide the fairytale ending as the game finished 31-29.
The 2nds also had a close encounter as they lost 41-40 at home to Telford Hornets 2nds. A hat trick by Harry Heath, plus tries from Charlie Kirby, Ben Gaitskell and Matt Wenlock-Evans – who also added five conversions – proved to be not quite enough.
