Tamworth triumph in tight encounter

Tamworth welcomed Paviors to Wiggington Park on Saturday for their first meeting of the season with the team’s just one place apart in the table the visitors in third three points clear of Tamworth in fourth so a tight game was promised and so it proved.
It was a landmark day for two Tamworth back rowers Macauley Green and Conor Banham who both received their one hundred appearance caps. Quite an achievement with both still only in their early twenties they have many years still ahead of them.
The parity between the sides was highlighted by the fact that the game was thirty five minutes old before the deadlock was broken with two solid defences cancelling out two willing attacking efforts. But although the game lacked points it certainly didn’t lack the entertainment factor.
When the breakthrough came it was in the visitors favour when they got some go forward from a driving maul and although Tamworth appeared to have halted its progress they broke away and found some space on the blind side for the winger to score the games first try 0-5
Tamworth narrowed the gap shortly afterwards with a Danny Norton penalty before Paviors scored again on the stroke of half time as the ball was moved across the park the normally ultra reliable home defence was breached rather too easily with the centre evading two or three tackles before offloading just short of the line with the supporting player scoring with ease. 3-10
The second period was just three minutes old when Tamworth dragged themselves right back into contention with a driving maul from a lineout proving unstoppable with skipper Josh Roe getting the final touch. 8-10
As the game edged towards the hour mark Tamworth took the lead for the first time as they flooded forward the ball came to Norton who’s step wrong footed the onrushing defender allowing him to reach the line at full stretch he added the extra’s from the tee and Tamworth led 15-10.
Their lead was extended further with a lovely try when Leighton Norton broke clear in midfield he moved the ball to Kit Smith who’s bouncing pass was fielded superbly by Xavier Hill who looked like he had been swallowed up by Paviors scramble defence but he somehow got an offload away to winger Jimmy Carroll for him to score a great try. 20-10
Paviors were far from finished though and scored the game’s next try as Tamworth just about hauled their player up just short of the line he offloaded well and Tamworth had simply ran out of defenders repelling the original attack leaving a hole for him to exploit the conversion was added and Paviors were back within three points 20-17.
With points proving to be of a premium when Paviors gave a penalty away in front of the sticks the decision was made to attempt the three points Norton did just that giving Tamworth a six point lead as the game entered its final stages.
This would prove to be a vital decision in the final outcome of this enthralling tie as Paviors bounced straight back with another try once again Tamworth appeared to have dealt well with the Paviors maul but again they worked the ball initially to the open side but then came back to the short side catching Tamworth off guard to score bringing them back to within one point with the conversion to come and all Tamworth could do was hold their breath and watch as the ball drifted wide of the upright to keep Tamworth in the narrowest of narrow leads. 23-22
This would prove to be the final action in a great game which gave Tamworth four league points but with Paviors getting two bonus points by scoring four tries and losing within seven points that was enough to ensure they stayed above their hosts in the table.
Final Score
Tamworth 23
Paviors 22