Burntwood RUFC’s bid to make it into their first ever Staffs Senior Cup Final never really got off the ground against a good Tamworth outfit.
Much of the damage occurred in the first half, particularly when the visitors were down to 14 with a player in the sin bin. During Lloyd Shelley’s absence the hosts contributed 17 points to their half time lead of 28-3.
The visitors conceded three costly penalties inside the first ten minutes. The first was for lifting in the tackle and the home kicker split the uprights. Then, in Burntwood’s first attack from a line out take by skipper Graham Shelley and driven on by prop Rob Cartwright, support players went off their feet at the breakdown to lose a promising position.
Three minutes later and the home kicker landed an easy penalty goal from in front of the posts, awarded for not releasing in the tackle.
It took a good tackle on 15 minutes to deny the flying Tamworth right winger from scoring the first try of the afternoon but just four minutes later they moved line out possession right then left to exploit a two on one situation to cross the whitewash.
A long distance punt by Matt Wood put his side in good field position approaching the half hour. Hesitation in the home defence allowed Burntwood to scrum under the posts but Tamworth took the ball against the feed to clear their lines.
With the visitors now under pressure, flanker Shelley was yellow carded for an offence at a ruck and the hosts seized on their advantage. The resulting penalty was kicked to make it 14-0.
Although Wood replied with a penalty for Burntwood the home side went further ahead from a tapped penalty which was touched down under the posts for an easily converted try.
Six minutes later, Tamworth turned over possession at another visitors’ scrum and broke through midfield from their own ten metre line. Good handling sent the winger away for the try which was well-converted from wide out.
Burntwood needed the first score of the second period to get back into it but with all the play in their own half it was no surprise when Tamworth moved further ahead with a try following a close range line out after 51 minutes.
A series of penalties awarded against the hosts allowed Wood to kick his side deep into home territory but a promising attack ended with a dropped pass in midfield.
Even when Tamworth lost their hooker to the sidelines for ten minutes for showing dissent, it was they who scored during his absence, running in a try from 40 metres for the final points of the afternoon.
Burntwood pressed for a consolation try in the closing minutes but handling errors prevented them from adding to their solitary penalty goal. Tamworth face Burton in the County Cup Final which is to be played at Lichfield RFC on May 13.
Burntwood resume league action this Saturday (March 24) and face the stiffest test of all by travelling to play champions-elect Stoke-on-Trent, kick-off 3pm. The 2nds are away to Willenhall 3rds and the 3rds host Wolverhampton 3rds.
