Seasiders Fail to get their Just Deserts

Skegness 2nd XV 14 V 27 North Kesteven 2nd XV

“This game was a bit like a Chinese takeaway,” commented a dissatisfied Skipper Jamie Cameron after a game that was closer than the scoreline suggested. “Ten minutes after finishing the meal, we were just hungry for more.” The turning point of the game came during the second course when the referee controversially decided to go to uncontested scrums, despite the fact that both teams had fit front rows.

Up to that point the Seasiders had been chewing up the Nth Kesteven pack, providing tasty morsels of possession for their youthful runners. The decision emasculated the home side and enabled the visitors, who to that point had been reduced to eating through a straw, to dine without paying the bill.

Indeed, had anyone likened this game to a meal, it would have been role reversal with the Seasiders more the steak and the Lincoln side the prawns on a skewer..

Enjoying the benefit of a stiff breeze, Nth Kesteven enjoyed the starters more. Despite strong defence from Farnsworth and the evergreen Johnson, making it Hell’s Kitchen and ‘grilling’ any attacker trying to eat off their table, the visitors scored first.

If this was the hors d’oeuvre, the Skegness reply was haut cuisine. When the home side were awarded a scrum in their own half, the front row of De la Fontain, Pell and Taylor were licking their chops. They shunted the Lincoln side backwards and with the visitors defence not sure where to go Blackett sliced through the defence like a hot knife through butter. The centre sprinted away from the cover to score under the posts. Cameron’s conversion levelled the scores at 7 all.

When Dennis found himself isolated under his own posts, his team mates ‘waiter’ed too long and from the turnover Nth Kesteven scored to lead 7 – 12 at half-time.

With the wind at their backs Skegness were looking forward to the second course being served. Their optimism was well founded when, after good work by Hughes and Groves in midfield, Skegness set up a ruck deep in the visitor’s half. Lemon quickly moved the ball right and Frost powered over. Cameron’s touchline conversion put Skegness in fron for the first time.

Shortly after, with the visitors complaining about the fitness of a lock forward, the referee made the most important decision of the game which ultimately enabled North Kesteven to go home with the tips.

Skegness: B. Frost, M. Pell, D. De la Fontain, T. Farnsworth, A. Dennis, J. Bradburry, I. Johnson, R. Taylor, M. Lemon, J. Cameron, M. Hughes, O. Groves, A. Blackett, J. Elliot, C. Walker.