L&Y win despite poor display

Lowestoft and Yarmouth kept their league campaign rolling despite one of their most lacklustre rugby performances of the season against a spirited and robust Holt challenge.

Lowestoft and Yarmouth kept their league campaign rolling despite one of their most lacklustre rugby performances of the season against a spirited and robust Holt challenge.

Minds were on next week's EDF Junior Vase semi-final against Liskeard Looe in Cornwall, the most important fixture in L&Y's history, and it showed dramatically in this game.

The first 35 minutes were painfully below-par despite L&Y dominating possession and territory.

L&Y's Russ Chapman and Holt's Paul Derbyshire exchanged two wonderfully struck 40-metre penalties, but despite five clear-cut chances for L&Y no tries were scored.

Shaun Woodhouse and Marc Thomas both went close only to be foiled by some desperate defence, Brad Sutherland9s 60-metre punt return from full-back fizzled to nothing, and twice Kris Nelson broke through the centre only to take the wrong option with the line in sight.

Eventually L&Y broke through with a marvellous burst from outside centre Myles McAlone who took the ball from Scott Nelson at pace and scorched straight through the defence from 35-metres out.

Derbyshire missed a couple more penalty attempts, then early in the second half nailed one to bring Holt within two points. With some inconsistent refereeing disrupting both sides, Thomas' frustration led to a late tackle and a 10-minute rest, but he returned to notch L&Y's second try by completing a line-out drive from eight-metres out.

Chapman kicked the conversion then immediately from the kick-off Kris Nelson broke through the centre, unloaded to Woodhouse who bundled up tfe left-hand touchline and released Tom Smith whose pace took him the final 40-metres.

Chapman again managed the kick, but L&Y were still struggling to impose their usual structure to the game. Holt hit back when scrum-half Neil Peacock dummied the defence from a ruck and scampered through unchallenged to the posts for Derbyshire to slot the easy kick.

Thomas then got his second score after L&Y drove over a Holt scrummage five-metres from the Holt line following a yellow card penalty for foul play by their prop.

Chapman converted again and a fractious finale was completed when Holt's Tim Allen supported well to score a consolation try in the corner.

Final score: Holt 18, Lowestoft & Yarmouth 29.

Only once this season have L&Y played so poorly, in a tough game at Fakenham, but they'll take it as a wake-up call for next week.