FAIRCLOUGH HAT TRICK SEALS IT FOR TROWBRIDGE

TROWBRIDGE 52 BLETCHLEY 17
Trowbridge’s latest visitors to Doric Park on Saturday were last season’s Southern Counties Champions Bletchley, who they defeated 34-10 during their Intermediate Cup campaign in February. The Buckinghamshire side have been struggling with injuries and were without a win this season, but this did not show in the first half. Trowbridge were drawn into a forward battle and it wasn’t until they released their backs and the large Bletchley pack ran out of steam in the second half that the home side were able to draw away. They finished the match with three tries in the final 10 minutes.
Trowbridge defended Bletchley pressure in the early stages and the first significant incident came when a Lloyd Davis kick to the corner was taken by the Bletchley full back Kyle Gibbings. His clearance kick was charged down by James Davies, but the defending side were able to touch the ball down and clear after defending the 5 metre scrum. Trowbridge were being drawn into a forward battle and Bletchley were able to make headway. In the 17th minute they forced a long range penalty, but Phil Harman, a competent kicker in past matches, was unable to convert. A couple of minutes later, Trowbridge mounted their first significant attack, moving the ball left through Shai Bonnick and James Mcfarlane to Ashley Chalk who outpaced the Bletchley defence to go over for a try which Lloyd Davis converted.
This prompted Bletchley into action and their forwards continued to trouble the Trowbridge defence. They scored two quick tries from centre Matt Nobes and Phil Harman, both converted by the fly half but between the tries they lost flanker Steve Herrington with a shoulder injury. Trowbridge returned to the attack but were unable to break the defence again until the 32nd minute when wing James McFarlane came up on the inside of fly half Lloyd Davis after a line out and went through unchallenged to score near the posts. Davis again converted to level the scores. Harman regained the lead for the visitors with a penalty and Davis missed an attempt just before half time. The teams turned round with Bletchley leading 17-14.
Coach Steve Ojomoh’s half time talk must have had its affect as Trowbridge came out in the second half much improved. He brought on a couple of replacements including scrum half George Leat who introduced a much quicker pace from the base of the scrum. This resulted in the backs making quick progress and an attack involving McFarlane and Chalk resulted in a score for replacement Dan Smith converted by Davis soon after the break.
Trowbridge were dominant as the visitors forwards tired. The star at this stage was loose head prop Lee Fairclough who scored three tries in a 20 minute period. He first turned up in the backs in support of a move to score to put Trowbridge two scores ahead and then pounced on a poor tap back from a Bletchley line out on their 22 metre line to go over unopposed. Then he was in support of an excellent break by hooker Dave Martin. This put Trowbridge 42-17 ahead and two late tries from Dan Smith after contributions from Dave Martin and Matt Howard and Adam Sullivan from the base of a 5 metre scrum completed an impressive second half display.
Trowbridge move up to 8th place in the league table, and visit Buckingham next Saturday before hosting Devizes on the Saturday before Christmas. Buckingham lost 41-10 at Towcester and Devizes gained a try bonus point, their first league point for several matches, but they were still well beaten at Reading by a 48-22 score, Chippenham gained a comfortable win at Swindon and there was a win for Windsor at home to Witney, while Newbury edged out Grove and Maidenhead beat Leighton Buzzard.