ROUND 7 | WALSALL 29 | 55 LICHFIELD 55

Lichfield won this game quite comfortably, but it was a strange match up as there were six yellow cards – three apiece with both sides reduced to 13 at one stage in each half – so there were limited periods when it was actually fifteen versus fifteen players. It was not a fiery local derby, just the players could not meet the precise requirements the official required. Yet, there were plenty of points with twelve tries scored, eight to the visitors, however, neither side will have been totally happy with their afternoon’s work. For Lichfield, it was another bonus point win and they will move on to the next challenge at home to Mellish on 9 November still top of the table ahead of Melbourne and Dronfield, who both won easily as well.

The game did not start well for Walsall. On receiving the kick off, their first clearance kick was charged down and the ball ended in touch. Lichfield drove the line out and Ditch Burton dropped over the line for the first try within ninety seconds, Kai Lucas-Dumolo added the first of six conversions. It was he, who was very soon felled by a high tackle and the first of the yellow cards appeared. There were then two more for Walsall in the next dozen minutes, one for a tackle on a supporting player without the ball and another high tackle. Despite all of this, it was the home side, who scored next. They went through a series of breakdowns with speedy recycling and hooker, Tom Aston, crashed over from short range with Ben Pitt converting.

That was as good as it got for Walsall. The line out, quite often driven with effect, was a real weapon for ‘’Lich’’ and a front peel five metres out produced a converted try for the captain, Kieran Reynolds. Walsall responded with a penalty from Pitt from virtually half way, but the game was effectively won in the last ten minutes of the half with a try apiece from Ollie Green and Charlie Milner, both from driven line outs, which in the first case had left the Walsall midfield exposed. Half time was reached 26-10 to Lichfield.

Try number five came soon after the restart. Lucas-Dumolo intercepted a Walsall pass and the ball was stabbed through for Sam Benson to win the foot race to the try line. Walsall started to try to mount counter attacks from deep, with Lichfield’s game management forcing them back into their ‘’22’’. More often than not, the troops were not on hand to succeed and they coughed up possession on their own line to gift a try to Kieran Higgins. The score line went out to 45-10 when Lichfield tapped a penalty in their own half and the kick ahead found no one at home and Seb Smith fed Paul Maxwell-Keys for the easiest of scores.

It was Lichfield’s turn to find yellow cards being brandished in their direction, which made them take their eye off the ball. Hence, the next three tries went the home side’s way. Callum Hoy stretched over the line from a close range scrum and this was followed by a breakaway one for Adam Nunney. Some good support play then produced a walk in for Simon Weaver, Nunney and Pitt kicked the extras to the latter two.

It always feels good to score last. So, a penalty in front of the sticks was calmly kicked by Lucas-Dumolo and, amongst the dying embers of the game, Maxwell-Keys ripped through

the Walsall midfield and when he was halted, Milner grabbed his second from close range by the posts to take Lichfield past fifty points against Walsall for the first time in many years.