Tamworth welcomed Melbourne to Wiggington Park on Saturday a team who were on a fine run of form being the only side to conquer league leaders Lichfield so far this term and sitting nicely in fourth place in the table. It was always going to be a tough afternoon for the hosts who were struggling to get a grip in games being torn apart by teams shipping tries at a rate of knots.
One plus point being that they have started scoring a few in reply earning a rare four try bonus point in the still heavy defeat away at Walsall before Christmas.
This game couldn’t have started better for Tamworth when they took the lead when an attempted clearance kick from number eight Jamie Lawrence fell kindly for Jack Dalton who sprinted clear to score he added the extra two from the tee and Tamworth led 7-0.
The lead was short lived as Melbourne took the game by the scruff of the neck and battered Tamworth with wave after wave of solid, skilful play that the hosts had absolutely no answer too running in eight first half tries without Tamworth troubling the scorer any further.
The second period continued in pretty much the same vein although there were a couple of bright spots in an otherwise bleak afternoon as Kiwi tight head prop Nichaiah Boynton opened his Tamworth account forcing his sizable frame over from close range and Eamonn Carroll capitalizing on a rare Melbourne mistake to intercept a pass to cross under the sticks both were converted by Paddy Cole who had taken over kicking duties from the injured Dalton. Yet another tough day on the park for a beleaguered Tamworth side who to be fair kept going for the entire eighty minutes but just can’t find any kind of answer to the onslaught that other sides bring week on week.
Tamworth travel to fellow strugglers Mellish next Saturday.