Sedgley Park Tigers roared to victory with a statement 27-21 National League One win against Chinnor last weekend.
The Tigers went into the game off the back of a heavy defeat at home to Rams which ended a 22-game unbeaten streak at Park Lane.
Scott Barrow’s men had the opportunity to redeem themselves with a tough test against Chinnor at home.
However, the visitors boasted an impressive run of form of two wins out of three games, including a 36-0 bonus point victory over Sale FC.
The first 20 minutes were what many would have expected - a tightly-contested affair with Sedgley dominating possession and Chinnor looking to counter.
The visitors consumed a lot of the pressure from the Tigers attack, but two penalties in the eighth and 18th minutes where costly mistakes as pinpoint fly-half, Warren Seals, kicked them both through the middle of the sticks to put Sedgley 6-0 up.
The hosts kept knocking at the door of the Chinnor defence and a sparkling run by homegrown talent William Bradley set the Tigers on their way, with marksman Seals adding the extras. It was a first try for 18-year-old Bradley and was a moment for all Sedgley fans to enjoy - a sign of things to come maybe.
Chinnor responded well as the half ended. A move which saw fly-half Nick Smith break through the Tigers’ defensive line and place the ball under the sticks with James Bourton converting.
Tigers went into the break with a 13-7 lead over the Oxfordshire-based visitors having dominated the largest portion of the half, but a lapse in concentration saw Chinnor bring themselves back into the game.
Sedgley Park started similarly after the interval to how they started the first half with a penalty kick by Seals in the 49th minute which extended the lead to 16-7.
But the big breakthrough came with a spectacular try by the home team. A blazing run down the left-hand side by Bradley opened the Chinnor defence and a silky offload sent full-back Andy Riley steaming through to put the Tigers up by double digits. Riley claimed the acclaim and it was another moment to savour for Bradley in just his second appearance for the Tigers’ first team.
Chinnor responded well again with a try bundled over the line by substitute George Merrick and Bourton added the extras, making the score 21-14.
This spurred the visitors on which led to a dicey final 10 minutes for the Tigers.
However, two costly mistakes which led to penalties gave Seals the chance to add some breathing space, putting Tigers up by 13 points.
A try at the death by Morgan Passman and conversion by Bourton proved to be just a consolation for the visitors as the Tigers sealed victory.
A bounce-back win saw the Tigers dominate large portions of the game, while showing resilience to get over the line.
The game as a whole was a great spectacle and was encapsulated by the work of youngster Bradley, who got on the scoresheet with a first try for his boyhood club.
Speaking after the game, Bradley spoke about the emotions he was going through after scoring his first try for the Tigers.
He said: “I was buzzing, like my heart was pumping and all the lads came in and gave me a hug.
“You can’t really describe the love the team has for you here, it’s like a family. It’s just emotional.”
The Tigers go on the road this weekend when they travel to Rosslyn Park, before a return to Park Lane the week after to host Taunton Titans.
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