Peterborough too strong for Olney

Olney were back on home turf for their league encounter with Peterborough on Saturday. It was a tentative start, and Peterborough had an early chance to score from a penalty but the kick for goal was wide. Both sides looked fairly evenly matched at the set piece, Olney having the edge when they sorted out their front row.

The visitors were first to put points on the board, winning a line out on Olneys throw, they moved the ball out to their right winger Tennaka, who touched down for a non converted try to lead 0 - 5 after 8 mins.

From the restart Olney followed up to win the benefit of a penalty for an offside infringement on the visitors’ 22. Jordan Letts struck the ball well and reduced the deficit to 3 – 5. A series of lines out followed with play mainly contained between the 22m. lines. Pboro. won ball from a ruck and worked it to their threes. Michael Bean broke the Olney defence to add a further, unconverted, try and increase the lead to 3 - 10.

The home side were required to re- jig their pack when Jeremiah Shields and Steve Harrison had to leave the field in quick succession, for blood injuries, replaced by Euan walker and Sam Spruce respectively.

The visitors moved the score further ahead from a penalty when their kicker, Lewis Hall, finally found the target and extended the difference to 3 - 13. The substitutes were back on the bench with the patched up duo reinstalled and some 8 mins. of the half remaining. Olney were penalised, at a scrum inside the visitors half, and Pboro. Put the ball into touch. Their throw in was not straight and the home side had the put in at a scrum on the halfway line.

This gave the home pack the chance to gain some territory and another penalty in their favour was run, James Padfield breaking the visitors defence and almost reaching the goal line. A scrum on Olneys put in, their left hand corner, was won and the ball was fed to Letts who kicked, with pin point accuracy, into the hands of Jake Deighton, on the far wing. He stepped over the line to touch down. The try was not converted and Olney drew closer, 8 - 13.

HALF TIME SCORE: OLNEY 8, PETERBOROUGH 13.

Olney kicked off and both sides took the aerial option playing the touchline for the early exchanges. Although Gareth Cahill and Charlie Belcher managed to take the ball beyond the gain line, as did Cam Kok and Isaac Shields, there was no one on their shoulders.

The home team were denied a score, when a break by Carhill saw the ball go via Will Edwards to the wing where Harry James made ground and passed inside for Edwards to touch down. But the ref declared a forward pass.

The second half was littered with stoppages and the visitors took full advantage of the situation. Ten minutes into the half they won the ball from a ruck and put Bean over for a try converted by Hall to go 8 - 20 ahead (10 mins.).

They improved on this when Olney were pulled up for entering a ruck from an offside position and Hall slotted the kick, 8 - 23. (15 mins.) Olney were awarded a penalty in front of the visitors goal but the ref. reversed the decision and another opportunity was lost. On an occasion when Olney denied the trend, from a penalty on the visitors 22, Cam Kok went on the charge, off loaded to Carhill who touched down, Letts added the conversion and Olney made double figures 15 - 23.

Pboro. punished the home side using possession from the restart kicks to keep the ball.. They scored four more tries in the final fifteen minutes from: Stefan Gallicci conv. Tom Williams, Chris Sandsby conv. Williams, Williams conv. Williams and Tennaka conv. Williams. This adds up to a resounding Pboro. win.

FINAL SCORE Olney 15 Peterborough 49