LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS 28 CINDERFORD 25
INJURY-ravaged Cinderford had to settle for a National One losing bonus point for the second consecutive week.
The Foresters were leading 17-0 at half-time in Leicestershire before losing both second rows Dale Critchley and Ben West to injury on the hour and then inside centre Robbie Winchle late on.
The in-form students took advantage to fight back from 20-14 down with ten minutes to go and seal a bonus-point victory for their seventh win in nine games.
Stand-in stand-off Mike Wilcox gave Cinderford the lead after four minutes with a well-stuck penalty before his opposite number Andy Hall missed a shot of his own 20 minutes later.
Following a tight opening half an hour, the away side struck quickly with two converted tries in five minutes to boast a commanding half-time advantage.
Outside centre Jack Adams juggled his way over on 32 minutes with Wilcox brilliantly converting before hooker Stu Bailey benefited from a catch and drive lineout with Wilcox on target again.
Turning around 17-0 up, Andy Deacon's men got off to the worst possible start when Loughborough second row Matt Rogerson cantered over inside Cinderford's 22 on 50 minutes with Hall successful.
Just four minutes later wing and captain Chris Kinloch then went over out wide with another good kick from Hall pulling within three and wiping out Cinderford's lead.
A successful Wilcox penalty pushed his side 20-14 ahead before Loughborough outside centre Rhys Owen cut through the defensive line to score on 74 minutes with Hall splitting the posts.
With Cinderford's players dropping like flies, Loughborough replacement scrum-half Jordan Brookes popped over for the home side with minutes to go and Hall's conversion edged eight points ahead.
But the Dockham Road outfit's own replacement Steff Hawley stole over in injury-time to snatch a losing bonus with Wilcox off target ahead of the trip to Coventry next week.
LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS: A Davis; C Wilson, R Owen, G Eastwell, C Kinloch; A Hall, J MacManus (Brookes, 49); J Collister, G Harris (B Hutchison, 70), H Williams (B Alo, 75); J Parker, M Rogerson; J Atkinson (Albon, 58), J Freeman, G Messum. Replacements: B Alo, T Crozier, J Albon, J Brookes, B Hutchison.
CINDERFORD: K Done; S Caven, J Adams, R Winchle (Frame, 75), L Stapleton; M Wilcox, D Pointon; L Green (Brooks, half-time), S Bailey, N Selway (Heard, 57); B West (Hawley, 63), D Critchley (McKee, 57); L Allen, W Foden, J Garner. Replacements: T Heard, J Brooks, D McKee, A Frame, S Hawley.
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