SSE National League One
Stourbridge 18 Jersey 19
Jersey ground out a narrow but deserved win against a Stourbridge team who fell to their seventh defeat in eight games in 2011/12.
Dave McCormack's tapped penalty in the 18th minute was the key score for the visitors, with Stourbridge failing to react quickly enough and the scrum-half racing 40 metres to score. This try and eight points from the boot of Mike Le Bourgeois saw the islanders lead comfortably 13-3 until missed tackles allowed Nathan Bressington to cross for Stour try close to half time that was converted.
Le Bourgeois slotted two kicks, one each side of half-time, to put his side up 19-10 but these turned out to be Jersey's final points. A Ben Barkley interception and Mark Woodrow's penalty narrowed the gap to just one point but crucially the Stour full-back missed a makeable conversion.
Jersey had some anxious moments in the final quarter, but regained control in the closing minutes and came close to adding another try.
Jersey's stand-out backs were centres Sanders and Copsey, plus Glenn Bryce at full-back. The forwards established some dominance at the scrum although lineout possession was again mixed. Excellent work at the breakdown, and fine leadership during the 71 minutes after Paul Rodgers (bruised knee) went off, earned Graham Bell the nod as man-of-the-match.
Jersey go up one place in the Nat One table to 10th with 19 points, the same number as next weekend's visitors to St Peter, Sedgley Park. Stourbridge are bottom with 10 pts, the same number as Cinderford in 15th spot - the two teams clash in the Forest of Dean next Saturday.
Scorers
Stourbridge
Tries: Bressington 35, Barkley 56
Conversions: Woodrow 36
Penalties: Woodrow 21, 63
Jersey
Try: McCormack 17
Conversion: Le Bourgeois 18
Penalties: Le Bourgeois 9, 29, 39, 42
Teams
Adam Sturdy (Tim Pickard 71), Liam Woodley (JordanPage 64), Andrew Lawrence, Ben Hughes, Robbie Hurrell, James Rodley (Matt Thomas 64), Alex Rovira, James Jenner, Peter White, Sam Robinson (Tomasi Tanumi 52), Nigel Baker, Ben Barkley, Gary Dipple, Nathan Bressington, Mark Woodrow. Unused sub: Chris Reakes
Myles Landick (Ben Evans 55), Charlie Clyde-Smith (Luke Fisher 57), Jon Brennan, Nathan Hannay, Jim Brownrigg, Paul Rodgers (Nick Trower 9), Guy Thompson (Steve O'Brien 57), GrahamBell, Dave McCormack, Michael Le Bourgeois, Ed Dawson, Donovan Sanders, James Copsey, Ashley Maggs, Glenn Bryce. Unused sub: Chris Levesley.
JRFC Man-of-the-Match: Graham Bell
Attendance:550
Half-time:10-16
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