Skegness 1st XV 8-14 Lincoln 2nd XV

     Skegness’s home game against Ollerton was cancelled at the weekend due to away teams selection difficulties. Skegness was well prepared for this top of the table show down. A rearranged fixture saw to blue and whites travel away to Lincoln.
The fist team also had some selection problems but managed to take a bare fifteen men. The game started at a frantic pace with both team tackling hard and running good lines. Skegness’s try scoring machine Haigh scored a good solo try as continued pressure and quick rucking created confusion in the Lincoln Defence.
Not long after the conversion was missed Halliday was harshly treated by the referee and sin binned for a high tackle. Hotchin stepped into the breach to take on the kicking duties.
The Lincoln side soon capitalised on the extra man, in the backs and scored a converted try to make the score 5-7.
Skegness defended valiantly through their back row of Taylor, Cummings and captain Machin. They also continued to attack with their pacey wingers of Kime and Wood.
Kime scored a try the referee gave a knock on and a scrum five was awarded to Lincoln. Woods attempted rucking of a slippery ball resulted in a head to head collision. Wood was forced to leave the field with dizzy spells.
Skegness now had to defend the rest of the match with fourteen men. The team pulled together to halt the Lincoln onslaught. As the half time whistle blew Machin sorted out the tactics and encouraged the team to continue with their defensive brilliance.
Stevenson and Horner, playing from prop, again had good games. They won ball in the ruck and ripped possession away from Lincoln in the mauls.
With continued pressure and quick thinking the skegness team caught the Lincoln backs off side. Halliday kicked the three points and Skegness led 8-7.
Almost immediately Lincoln scored their second converted try. A down field kick and a lucky bounce gave their winger his second of the day.
Hill’s running, in open play, always broke the first line of defence. He produced a target for the forwards to attack.  A blind side move gave Cook the ball. He ran with grace and skill to off load to his supporting back row. The continuing move produced an overlap but poor decision-making squandered a definite try scoring opportunity.
A skegness penalty was kicked to touch. A pre-planned line out move offered the blue and whites a great attacking opportunity. Spiers had jumped in the line, acrobatically all game. Stevenson called for a change of tactics. Scrum half Divilly moved into the line and jumped for the throw in.
T. Hill’s throw was pinpoint and met the scrum half at the top of his jump. The catch and drive made ground but foul play from the Lincoln players went un-punished by the referee and the move was halted.
Skegness set up camp in the Lincoln half. Continued pressure could not break the Lincoln line and further decisions went against Skegness. The final whistle blew and Skegness walked off the pitch with their heads held high. They played sixty minutes with fourteen men as Lincoln used the substitution quota.
Next week the blue and whites travel away to Worksop for a bruising and probably muddy league encounter.

     Skegness 1st XV
Stevenson, T.Hill, Horner, A.Hill, Spiers, Taylor, Cummings, Machin,
Divilly, Halliday, Wood, Haigh, Cook, Kyme, D. Hotchin.