West Norfolk v Holt (04.11.12)

The result of this fixture was a difficult one to take. Holt were ahead for virtually the entire game, leading early on and kept on plugging away to stay in front right until the end, in fact the last play of the game and the longest 20 seconds ever. We felt robbed. So much hard work on a freezing, wet, muddy day and with half the team either absent or playing out of position it was looking like an incredible but totally deserved victory. However West won by the margin of 2 points. Next time...

The first half was against the rain and up a slight incline, yet Holt were not going to let that stop them showing how well they can play. After a scrappy passage of play, partly due to the conditions, a scrum was awarded to the home team which Holt won against the head. Something that happened plenty of times in the game, even though Holt must have been giving away a stone a man, at least. The ball was passed out and Alexander made a great run, Matti took the ball on the switch and was through.

The second try came from Jenks, a super run following another brilliant scrum. The ball came wide and Jenks was off up the left touchline, like the Jenks of old, to go over and make it West Norfolk 0 - Holt 10. However West came back into the game late on in the half to score a couple of tries and convert one. The first was a break down the wing and the second a bundled over try near the posts. Half time West Norfolk 12 - Holt 10.

The half time talk was short and sweet. Keep playing the way you did in the first half, Holt had the slope and the wind with them, they were told to use it and keep up the great work. With only a couple of spare players everyone had to dig deep for the rest of the game. Holt's third try of the game came from a long line-out, intentional I'm sure, snatched by Jacko at the back, who then made a surging run through the middle of the pitch to score under the posts. Ally converted.

The next try followed another powerful break by Jacko, who totally unselfishly off-loaded to Matti just short of the line. Matti was held up but the ball was re-cycled and fed out to the right wing where Matti popped up again and went over. West Norfolk 12 - Holt 22.

Then came West's response. The first a gift after a complete mess-up on our try line, the ball popping out and one of the West players flopping on the loose ball. Holt still continued to attack and kept pegging West back into their own twentytwo, however as much pressure as Holt exerted they just couldn't add to the score. Then came the heartbreak of a line-out on the Holt twentytwo, West stole the ball and tried to bundle their way through but some brave defending by Alex and Finn kept the home side out. Unfortunately the clock couldn't tick quick enough and more importantly Holt couldn't get possession of the ball to kick it into touch and West managed to get the ball back to the centre of the pitch and burst through under the posts. A simple conversion and the final whistle. Final score: West Norfolk 24 - Holt 22.

As hard as it is to take the defeat there are a great many positives to take from the game. A game played in tricky conditions with several players missing and many others having to play out of position. There were some great interchanges of play, some strong running and tackling. The scrummaging was immense and the spirit was absolutely brilliant, everyone stepped up to the mark. Great effort everyone.

Now for this week's guest photographer: Step up Mel Robson. Okay I just handed her my point and shoot camera but the resulting images, I'm sure you will agree, are possible Turner Prize contenders. I'm not even going to caption these ones. Not because I can't see anything in them but because I think they speak for themselves. Mel, get yourself and agent, you could have found a new career...
(ps, these were the better ones).