LEDBURY RFC were unlucky not to take the victory, as they were held to a draw in their Regional Two Midlands Division West derby match against Hereford.
The spoils were shared in the league fixture, as the two sides drew 22-22.
Hereford raced out of the block quicker, and were immediately providing significant pressure to the Ledbury side.
A deft cross kick sent them through to take the lead within the first five minutes.
Going behind, Ledbury battled hard, and showcased their dominance in the scrum. However, they conceded a penalty for diving in, followed by a second penalty.
A try-saving tackle from skipper Harry Harris, was followed by a further two penalties on the five-metre line. Hereford then breached the defensive line to double their advantage inside the opening 15.
Ledbury suddenly found themselves 10-0 down early on in the game, the worry further compiled with Ed Bennion being shown a yellow for his infringements.
With the game looking to slip away from them at this early stage, Ledbury rallied to get back into it.
Jack Hughes quickly put points on the board for the side from a penalty kick, narrowing the advantage to seven points.
However, Hereford continued their strong start and retaliated with a third try in the opening 20 minutes.
Ledbury continued to concede penalties, and incur the wrath of the referee, until an opportunity for a further try was denied for an accidental offside.
Ed Wallin joined Ed Bennion in the referee's book, picking up a yellow card of his own, but Ledbury retaliated despite their one-man deficit.
Jock Welch and Tom Mannin took the game to Hereford, and hammered the line. A quick series of attacking phases put George Wallin through in the corner to grab Ledbury's first try of the game.
Jack Hughes impressively converted the tough kick an brought the match back within five.
A reinvigorated Ledbury took to the pitch after the break. The side continued to dominate in the scrum, and after Hereford received a yellow card of their own for a high tackle on Tom Assal, they were able to go up the other end.
The resulting kick from the penalty did not make touch, but the chase down from Josh Bishop kept the ball in play. Regaining possession, the forwards dove hard to put Ed Bennion in to score.
Another conversion from Jack Hughes, and Ledbury took the lead for the first time in the match, taking a two-point, 17-15 lead.
Ledbury weathered Hereford's response, before going further ahead. A scrum five metres out was followed with a drive over the line for an Ed Bennion try, before Jack Hughes converted again and made it 22-15.
Hereford looked desperate to get back into the game, and threw everything at Ledbury, eventually equalising up with some smart cross-field play, converting the try from the ensuing maul.
A tense, frantic end to the game saw both sides battle to clinch victory in the final minutes, however neither was able to go ahead before the whistle blew.
Ledbury are next in action against fifth-placed Ludlow on Saturday, February 1.
Share