IT IS an old sporting cliché that good teams can grind out a win even when playing poorly and Old Laurentians gave this theory a searching examination in stumbling to a narrow win over Old Leamingtonians in Midlands 2 West (South).
On paper this looked like a straightforward task for the league leaders against a side who had chalked up their first win of the season just a week earlier with a narrow victory over the division’s bottom side, Old Coventrians.
But the visitors came up against a fired up Old Leamingtonians outfit and were made to settle for a narrow 13-12 win.
Playing with the stiff breeze in the first half, OLs went ahead with an early Dan O’Brien penalty before a rare moment of quality produced the game’s first try.
The visitors won a scrum against the head on the home 22, O’Brien and Wallis combined sweetly in midfield and Troy Owen came in off his wing at pace to carve through with O’Brien adding the goal points.
As half-time approached Leams drove the ball from a close in lineout before working it to the blindside where their prop had the simple task of falling over the line for 10-5.
But deep into added time, the visitors were awarded a penalty some ten metres inside their own half which O’Brien took full advantage of and landed a monster kick to give his side a 13-5 lead at the break.
The visitors began to dominate after the break despite losing skpper Olly Cowley and hooker Dom Hammond to injury.
League debutant Darren Dean’s strength at loose head a major factor as the home pack were put under serious pressure and Old Laurentians camped in their opponents half.
But despite some penetrative running from Wallis and Owen, with Lee Hersey also prominent after coming on at full back, they failed to apply the finishing touches.
The hosts took advantage of a rare break away to score their second try of the match which was converted for 13-12.
And despite soaking up late pressure Laurentians were happy to take the win points that opened up a three-point gap at the top of the league table, with Banbury now in second place.
