Buxton 1st XV…20 Glossop 2nd XV…5
Glossop travelled the second shortest distance to an away fixture this week to play old rivals Buxton. Glossop arrived in dribs and drabs, and the pre-match preparation was insufficient to take on a Buxton team that were clearly taking the fixture very seriously.
The game got underway and very quickly Buxton sought to release a well-drilled set of backs into the game. The referee set a poor standard for himself early in the match, missing clear infringements committed by Buxton. He was more hawk-eyed when ten minutes in he awarded a scrum to Buxton on the 5-metre line. It was not the first scrum of the game, and the previous scrums had proved to be an area in which Buxton were dominant. From the set piece, the outside centre cut an angle back towards the stand-off and flanker channel but was not picked up as he crashed over to open the scoring. A penalty followed the subsequent penalty to give Buxton a 10-0 lead.
The Buxton stand-off had a big kick which kept Glossop backs turned round for the early stages. Murphy was quickest to adapt to the threat posed and replied to one kick by collecting in his own 22 and running down the wing. The Buxton winger desperately dropped on his delicate chip over the top as Glossop rued the kind bounce of the ball.
A further good break from Percy made good headway, again putting Murphy into a good attacking position. Unfortunately the move broke down when his pass back inside to Sonczak was wrapped up. The signs were better from Glossop who had taken nearly half an hour to decide to turn up and play. The sustained pressure on Buxton finally told as the referee awarded a series of penalties, one of which saw Wrigley crash over the try line to reduce the deficit by 5.
Two relatively quick, unconverted tries were Buxton’s response, although both remain shrouded in doubt as the grounding of the ball in both was subject to serious question.
Half time arrived and the score was 20-5 to Buxton. It was agreed that Buxton were not a team deserving of such a lead and that the game was redeemable. With renewed vigour, Glossop re-commenced the game. Raised spirits were dampened slightly by the referee’s inability to spot two very blatant Buxton knock-ons from the kick off. The frustration in the Glossop ranks was evident.
The second half was clearly dominated by Glossop who spent prolonged periods camped on or within the Buxton 22 but seemed unable to display the requisite execution required which had been displayed in abundance the previous week.
Buxton offered little more than a strong pack in the second half, and threatened little. The second half was not the prettiest of affairs as mini brawls ensued periodically. Despite Glossop’s endeavours, there was no final product, and the final whistle yielded the same score line as the half-time whistle. Buxton 20, Glossop 5.