LICHFIELD were able to take positives from the 26-19 defeat at Lutterworth – but will know that finding consistency will now need to be the focus.
The Myrtle Greens controlled the opening quarter well enough, even facing a significant breeze, and were first to score. Kieran Reynolds opened his side’s account with a quickly taken penalty after some prolonged red zone pressure. Charlie Milner converted, to which he added one later, while striking the upright with the third.
The opener was quickly wiped out with the visitors falling foul of the referee’s line-out interpretations, backing them into a corner with Charles Turner driving over. Alfie Dorrington converted.
Both sides went down to 14 following yellow cards, but the home side were still able to use the breeze and their line-out with increasing effect. Archie Benford – Lutterworth’s main line-out man – won a line-out ten metres out and somehow emerged with the ball to score.
A well-executed backs move gave Joe Bourne the room to streak over in the corner just before half time.
It seemed proper order was going to be restored with Milner breaking well from his own half, but his potentially scoring pass with three men outside him was intercepted by Dorrington who raced over.
The game’s impetus changed with this score in the second period. Despite having the breeze behind them, Lichfield spent too much time in their own half and mistakes and wrong options crept in to compound the bad news, along with another yellow card.
Number eight Noah Green picked up at a scrum and stretched over to make matters worse for the visitors.
Lichfield did rouse themselves, but Lutterworth defended well and made the Myrtle Greens graft for every yard of progress.
It was only a consolation for the city men when Dan Crabtree brushed his way over from a quick penalty.
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