Market Drayton Ravens suffer defeat on return to action

The game started with the visitors on the front foot straight away and desperate scrambling defence from the home side. The game looked and felt like a preseason friendly, especially how the Ravens started. Barton were throwing everything at the Ravens and after only 3 minutes of play they opened the scoring with a well worked backs move under the posts which was duly converted. 0-7 to the visitors and the signs looked ominous. 18 minutes in and Barton were awarded a penalty which they chose to kick for goal but fortunately for the Ravens it drifted wide. Barton continued to press but the home defence grew in stature and Barton were struggling to add to their early points. The Ravens were then dealt a blow, literally, as George Minshall playing full back had to leave the field following a blow to the head, Josh Horton replacing him. The home side were beginning to exert some pressure of their own and the game was much more evenly contested with a number of forward drives and supporting runs by the backs getting deep into Barton territory. Alex Gammon leading the backs made a strong break through the visitors back line and from the breakdown Ryan Horton fed the ball out to the backs and Will Charman finished the move with a step inside and a powerful run to beat two defenders and score on the right of the posts, Gammon duly converted. 7-7 and the game evenly poised. All the pressure was now coming from the home side as half time arrived. Tactical changes were made to the lineup to hopefully increase the pressure on the visitors. What was to follow although exciting for the spectators made for a sobering assessment of some basic errors of judgement by the home side. The second half started as the first half finished with the Ravens now in control of the game and pressing the visitors defence with powerful forward surges and expansive back play. However, the Barton defence held firm. The Ravens came back and from a series of driving rucks Barton were caught offside and from the resulting penalty Gammon converted 10-7 to the home side. The Ravens appeared to be in total control of the game after 20 minutes of the second half. More pressure on the visitors and from a position deep in Barton territory the home side coughed up possession and Barton counter attacked and broke several tackles on their way 60 metres up the pitch when a tackle was made and a penalty awarded. Barton from nowhere were now level 10-10.

The Ravens struck back and again were battering the visitors defence with a series of forward surges and then the ball passed out to the backs where Luke Walters, now playing full back, ran a great line to drive over for a try. Conversion successful 15-10 and looking like running away with the game. Then the wheels came off. Barton made a break up the right wing and two Ravens players tackled their centre who went down. The referee, encouraged by some heckling from the visiting spectators decided that Dovi Soqosoqo had tackled him without using his arms and sent him to the sin bin for ten minutes. Barton converted 15-13. Barton sensed a way back into the game and threw everything at the home defence which had been superb up to this point. Suddenly, the tackling deserted the home side and from deep in their own half Barton again counter attacked and ran the length of the pitch to score wide out the conversion missed 18-15. The wheels then came off totally as Chad Fieldhouse was also yellow carded for a late tackle. Down to 13 men the Ravens still tried to get back into the game but from a chip ahead the ball was intercepted and again through missed tackles the Barton centre ran in and scored a controversial try in the corner again unconverted. 23-15 and things were getting desperate. The Ravens never gave up and again battered the visitors line and from several forward drives Dan Bolton crashed over to score, Gammon converted and the referee blew for full time 22-23. Post match talk was about things that could be worked on but also about how well we played after such a long lay off. A tough trip away at Yardley and District next Saturday in a must win encounter. 3:00 ko.