Lowestoft & Yarmouth 28, Newmarket 25WITH Newmarket lying third in EC1, L&Y expected a tough encounter and they came worryingly close to gifting Newmarket the two points in a thrilling match at Gunton Park.

Lowestoft & Yarmouth 28, Newmarket 25

WITH Newmarket lying third in EC1, L&Y expected a tough encounter and they came worryingly close to gifting Newmarket the two points in a

thrilling match at Gunton Park.

Both sides had key players missing for a tit-for-tat game that kept the large crowd on tenterhooks, L&Y's renewed character shone through when they overcame a 10-point deficit to power home.

Player coach Scott Nelson was delighted: “For such a young team to show that amount of character and come back to win was fantastic. It was just what we needed to wake up those players, who have been cruising so far this year, and to see what kind of hearts they've got. To play badly, to dog it out and still win is the sign of a good side, and we showed that.”

L&Y raced to an 8-0 lead with a penalty from Russ Chapman and an unconverted try from Scott Nelson, who bundled over following a Josh Fewkes break down the centre of

the pitch.

However, they quickly tired and Newmarket came back with a penalty. They levelled the scores after L&Y failed to effectively chase a kick that seemed to head out, but was instead cleverly fielded and run back for a try.

Just when L&Y had worked their way into the Newmarket 22 and were pressuring the line, the visitors' rush defence forced an interception and Juan Goity sprinted the length of the pitch to score his second try (converted).

Scrum-half Fewkes was having a torrid time getting decent ball for

fly-half Matt Jary to make use of the Nelson brothers in the centre or the pace of Chapman and his wingers. But L&Y soon hit back when the hard running No 9 touched down from his own chip ahead, and Chapman converted.

Newmarket added a penalty and, with Jary and Scott Nelson both having a poor afternoon with the boot, it was fitting that a blocked clearance led to another converted try when Goity charged down a kick, collected and sent his centre partner over.

L7Y were on the edge of panic 10 points adrift after gifting three tries, but a few words from the more experienced players and some directions from director of rugby Gary Cooper at half-time turned the tide.

L&Y showed much more commitment in the loose tackle areas and the

set-piece plays.

Newmarket had a reshuffle in the front row and the L&Y front five took control. Captain Danny Simmons, hooker Chris Howe and prop Wayne Nixon found an extra gear in the scrums, while Russ Wilkinson, Simon Coleman and Marc Thomas began to steal all the line-outs.

Chapman added a penalty after a superb break by Thomas from halfway was illegally stopped short and could have warranted a penalty try. Soon after another unsuccessful appeal for a penalty try, RG Cooper man-of-the- match Thomas latched onto a driving maul from a line-out and finally get over the line.

Once the referee sin-binned the Newmarket flanker for failing to release Kris Nelson in the tackle they knew they had the chance to overhaul their opponents. Tom Castleton and Chris Howe both threatened, but it was sealed when Thomas controlled a pushover scrum to touch down, and apart from the number eight butchering one golden chance of his hat-trick, L&Y spent the last five minutes closing out the game.