CINDERFORD 23 SEDGLEY PARK 31
DISJOINTED Cinderford slumped to a disappointing five-try defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Sedgley Park.
The visitors racked up just their sixth win of a struggling season.
Park were supposed to be the beleaguered travellers turning up expecting to have their relegation confirmed.
Instead sloppy hosts Cinderford were unable to control any area of the contest.
Sedgley's fine win, coupled with Macclesfield's 62-12 home humbling at the hands of Esher, means the Tigers live to fight another National League One Day.
The Park men left Dockham Road with both pride and relegation skirmish intact.
Sedgley Number eight Jan Crous ran the show from the back of the scrum, claiming an all-too easy try, while Connor McGrath, Jamie Harrison, William Emerson and James Lloyd landed the other fatal blows.
Lock Ben West blasted home for Cinderford, while flying wing Lloyd Stapleton claimed a try brace.
But the Foresters' speedsters Stapleton and Nev Codlin saw precious little ball.
After Riley struck the left-hand upright with an early penalty, the hosts opened with purpose and vim – producing everything but a try in the first quarter.
Two orderly catch-and-drives broke down in the shadow of the posts, and that after Codlin shaved the touchline when almost clear, and Stef Hawley went it alone when he should have shipped on.
A Jack Adams half-break also had Cinderford on their uppers.
But the complexion shifted completely when that second rolling maul failed to yield a try.
Danny Pointon bridged the loose ball, only for his opposite number to fly-hack clear.
Chance gone, Cinderford promptly imploded.
Pointon was pinged for offside at a scrum, the visitors gained ground with a regulation driving lineout, and then William Emerson and Crous powered into the Cinderford 22.
And prop McGrath's surge brought the just desserts of the opening try.
Rocked by that score, Cinderford lost their early conviction – and needed ten more minutes to recover it.
Hawley linked well with Pointon and George Evans to raid into the visitors' 22, before Sedgley conceded a penalty for offside under the pressure.
The Foresters chose the scrum, Evans broke blind at pace, and lock West smashed home on the short side.
A smart crossfield chip from Davies almost reached Codlin next, but a loose pass from the fly-half after a short-tap 22 drop-out gifted Park a scrum in prime position.
Number eight Crous broke blind at pace – but cakewalked home under no resistance for a poor try.
The ignominy raised a hubristic response from Deacon's men, who blasted straight back upfield.
Codlin, Adams and Done broke into the opposing 22, and when the ball came back left, Stapleton did the rest for Cinderford's second try.
A 12-12 half-time score reflected a confusing opening 40 minutes.
But head-scratching quickly turned to panic after the break.
Davies posted a penalty to hand Cinderford a 15-12 lead, but the home defence shortly evaporated.
Langley stole a fine turnover – but Cinderford promptly handed the ball back to Sedgley at the very same ruck.
In a flash left wing Harrison had flown over for Sedgley's third try.
Codlin then conceded a needless penalty for taking out Park scrum-half Parrott offside at a ruck.
And the visitors claimed their bonus-point try from the resulting catch-and-drive lineout.
Flanker Emerson crashed over after a series of tight drives.
Davies landed a penalty to cull the one-way traffic – but not for long.
Crous' scrum break battered Park back into the Cinderford 22, and lock Lloyd capped it with a good finish for try number five.
Finally realising defeat was a serious proposition, Cinderford whipped the ball wide to Stapleton, and he provided another good finish.
But again the Foresters could not sustain that attacking élan.
Fly-half Collins ghosted through centre-field, Emerson and Parrott continued on – and McGrath drove over the line – but crucially was held up and denied a try.
From the five-metre scrum Park went over the whitewash again – only to be held off the ground once more.
When Cinderford then won a fine turnover penalty, the hosts hoped they could relieve the pressure and sneak up the other end to put the match back in the balance.
But Sedgley had other ides and stubbornly kept themselves locked in the Cinderford half.
And that was how the tie played out.
Frustration for the hosts, who just could not repeat the potency of performance that saw them dispatch second-placed Blaydon 34-32 in the North East a week earlier.
SCORERS:
CINDERFORD: Tries: West (31), Stapleton 2 (36, 65). Cons: Davies (31). Pens: Davies 2 (42, 58).
SEDGLEY PARK: Tries: McGrath (20), Crous (34), Harrison (45), Emerson (48), Lloyd (62). Cons: Riley 3 (20, 48, 62).
CINDERFORD: S Hawley (M Wilcox, 47), N Codlin, J Adams (capt), K Done, L Stapleton, M Davies, D Pointon (A Frame, 75), C Bundy, T Bozzard (S Bailey, 63), N Selway (T Heard, 47), B West, E King, L Allen (J Garner, 63), R Langley, G Evans.
SEDGLEY PARK: T Leader, M Dutton, C Parrott, M Riley (capt), J Harrison, S Collins, S Parrott, C McGrath, R Oxley, N Flynn, J Lloyd, L McGowan, J Bishop, W Emerson, J Crous. Replacements: M Alcock, S Briggs, J Lamprey, P Paine, A Cheshire.
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