Ace Crampton stings Hornets (From Stroud News and Journal)

Ace Crampton stings Hornets

South West 2 West Stroud RFC 24 Hornets RFC 22

ED CRAMPTON sealed a controversial game with an injury time try that gave Stroud deserved reward for an excellent team effort.

In a must win game Stroud had the better start and young Jo McGoldrick, getting his first team league start, was soon in the action with a well taken Penalty.

Hornets returned the complement in kind from Steve Lawrence, however, despite Hornets being interested participants they gave away two more penalties that McGoldrick took well.

Lawrence narrowed the gap, however, Hornets might have taken the lead at the death of the first half when a loose ball was hacked over the line. Rob Matts was alert and fit enough to outsprint Pierre Supan over twenty metres to fall on the ball.

Stroud's slender 9-6 lead was quickly levelled by a Lawrence penalty, but once again McGoldrick took responsibility to take his fourth chance at the uprights.

Stroud were looking to break Hornets defence and with the forwards putting in plenty of graft against a larger pack to secure possession, Thompson was able to work his three quarters and look for space himself.

A neat move down the left flank finally ended in Guy Hopson's hands, who did well to score with heavy attention from defenders, McGoldrick maintained his perfect kicking record slotting the extras.

Stroud were looking good and another score would have made life comfortable, but it started to go terribly wrong. Creditably Hornets upped their game and stretched Stroud across the park and Thompson, Lyle Robertson and Adam Tarplee were all called into defensive action.

A bout of handbagging saw Steve Bewick and Richard Smith binned and with other front row replacements injured uncontested scrums were necessary for a short time, but Stroud lost concentration and were undone when John Ferguson ran through for a neat try, subsequently Lawrence slotted his fourth penalty to bring Hornets within two points.

The games controversy started when, with Hornets doing all the attacking, Supan was released down the Wing.

He rounded the otherwise flawless Robertson and galloped for the line, however a covering tackle from Tarplee appeared to put the player not only into touch but across the corner flag as well. Initially the visiting Touchjudge raised his flag, but then signalled to the referee that a try was scored.

Stroud went straight on the offensive and, on an afternoon when Crampton had looked for a decent break, finally got one. He outsprinted defenders across the field, but was ankle tapped feet from the line.

Having learned a lesson some week's previously, he released the ball on the floor, picked it up again and dived over the line pulling his Hamstring in the process.

This time Hornets were none too happy, but as McGoldrick slid the conversion wide the referee blew for full time.

* A Stroud XV will playing a Lydney XV at Regentsholme on Thursday December 30, 7.30 K.O.