On the occasion of the sponsors and volunteers lunch Olney entertained Melbourne who are also languishing in the nether regions of the league but just one place above, so a win would reverse the positions and the crowd were hopeful for a positive result. Conditions underfoot were unusually dry compared with previous weeks which will please Jane and her colleagues Danielle and Chris at the Laundry Basket who have done a marvellous job this season ensuring some particularly wet and dirty kit gets back to us fresh and clean.

Melbourne kicked off with the wind against them and their heavier side showed the intent of adopting the direct approach from the start. A spell of possession resulted in a kick for goal which missed but allowed Olney to clear up field with the wind assistance. It was then Olney’s turn to attack and the intensity finally told with a penalty awarded and Brendan Burke adding the three points. An unfortunate injury to the Melbourne full back caused a break in play when he had to leave the field and we wish him well. Despite having to re-shuffle the backs somewhat Melbourne were still trying hard to attack but it was Olney who had the upper hand and kept them in their 22 for as much as possible and when a clearing kick missed touch, winger Noddy Deighton gathered, beat his opposite number and cut inside for a fine individual try, converted by Burke.

Shortly after this Olney won a scrum on their own 22 and Burke changed the direction of attack, fed right to Stu Livesey at pace who made good ground before feeding Struan Brooks who finished off the move and gave the watching masses something to feel quietly optimistic about with the score 17-0. A scrum won by Melbourne 20 metres from their line was pressured by the marauding Olney back row resulting in a turnover and after several more phases Burke eventually found Brooks with a floated pass giving him enough space to run in for his second of the day, again converted by Burke. This being the last piece of significant action of the half meant the sides turned round with Olney 24-0 up.

The second half could almost have been predicted the way it would develop with Melbourne keeping it tight and clearing using the wind whenever they could. This was to be the pattern for the following forty minutes and from Melbourne’s point of view the tactics paid off as they added their first points of the day when they scored following a series of drives from the forwards. They added a second not long after when awarded a penalty they played on with the advantage to create an overlap on the left for the try, also converted. Olney used their replacements to good effect with Josh Meadows, Joe Brock and Jacob Pledger all being deployed into the fray.

Despite Melbourne having the bulk of possession they didn’t always have the territory and when they gave away a penalty in kicking range it was Burke again who added the three points to give Olney a 13 point lead at 27-14. As usual, Olney were trying to run at most opportunities but in contrast to the first half were unable to create space for the wingers to run as they would have wished. After what seemed a long 10 minutes at the end when Olney were reduced to 14 men following a yellow card, there were to be no further scores and Olney had finished victors to move one point and one place above what could be relegation next season.

A good day all round with the clubhouse full both before and after the match. Nothing to report from the hooker’s Mum this week so we’ll have to wait for the next instalment for a few of her words of wisdom. Match reports are always nice with some quotes from the crowd and the favourite this week was when someone was overheard to comment that “He’s about as much use as Anne Frank’s drum kit!” Watch out for more in the coming weeks or please feel free to offer up any gems which could be put to print. That’s all for now.

A few photos of the match here (courtesy of Marshall Payne)