Colts 22 - 17 Nottingham
Mansfield Colts ended their season in the best possible way by retaining the Three Counties title for a third successive year defeating Nottingham 22-17 on a sun drenched Sunday afternoon at Chesterfield RFC.Early exchanges were to set the tone for the rest of the game with the blue and whites looking to run at every opportunity. Full Back John-Ross Ward collected a kick deep inside the 22 and set off at pace only to be stopped on half way and penalised for not releasing, the subsequent lineout was stolen by Gareth Gripton and after a brief forward drive the ball was cleared deep into Nottingham territory.
Mansfield won a lineout on the Nottingham 22 six minutes in, ball secured the forwards drove only for Nottingham to illegally pull down the maul. The first scoring opportunity was for Mansfield but Fly Half Ross Elms pulled his kick agonisingly wide. The re-start was taken by Adam Shaw who set off up field breaking numerous tackles in the process. He was eventually stopped deep in Nottingham territory but managed to offload to wing Jonathan Fox in support who in turn set up centre Ryan Hough who gratefully accepted the scoring pass. Elms added the extras and it was 7-0 to Mansfield, 8 minutes on the clock.
Nottingham came straight back and were rewarded with a penalty of their own when Mansfield handled on the floor, the kick at goal was missed.
The next 10 minutes were played out in centre field with both sides probing for opportunities but defences on top. Gareth Gripton received the ball in the inside centre channel and made 20 metres up field only for his attempted offload to be adjudged forward. From the resultant scrum Nottingham were penalised and a free kick to Mansfield which was advanced 10 metres when Nottingham kicked the ball away. The scrum option was taken, Joe Symcox picked up from No. 8 and released Scrum Half Adam Shaw who did the rest, conversion missed but a healthy 12-0 lead on 20 minutes.
The re-start was collected by Gripton only for Shaw to see his clearing kick charged down but quick thinking saw him re-gather and clear at the second attempt. Nottingham secured the lineout and were rightly penalised for crossing in centre field allowing Mansfield to clear their lines only for the referee to then penalise them for handling in the ruck. Nottingham missed touch with the kick and Mansfield once again ran it back, the ball eventually finding Danny Ellis out wide, a deft chip from the prop found touch deep in Nottingham territory.
Nottingham were once again penalised for being offside and Elms found a safe touch on the 22. The lineout was won but possession subsequently lost in midfield only for Symcox to regain it at the breakdown with some superb work on the floor, Shaw saw the overlap out wide and quickly released Fox and Ellis but the final pass was well forward. The final play of the half saw Mansfield attack again but this time penalised for crossing, 12-0 the half time score.
The scoreline and pattern of play towards the end of the first period suggested the Blue and Whites were in control and would go on to win comfortably, Nottingham understandably had other ideas. Almost straight from the re-start Mansfield were penalised for not releasing and an easy penalty in front was taken, 12-3. Worse was to follow, Nottingham had possession on half way, numerous tackles missed and they were in under the posts, the score was now 12-10 and Mansfield hadn't touched the ball in the second period.
Nottingham were now in the ascendancy and using their forwards to great effect driving at the heart of the Blue and White defence only great work from the back row of Keegan, Croll and Symcox keeping play in midfield. Slowly Mansfield were finding their feet, a crunching tackle from Croll and a superb pick up from Symcox put them on the front foot but the ball eventually went out for a Nottingham lineout midway in their own half. The throw to the line was not straight, scrum to Mansfield but that was lost and only a last ditch tackle from Fox prevented Nottingham making progress down the flank. An exchange of kicks followed resulting in an attacking lineout for the Blue and Whites on the Nottingham 22, the ball was won and released to the backs only for Nottingham to intercept and run in from their own half to score under the posts. Fifteen minutes of the second period gone and now Nottingham lead 17-12.
Errors and uncertainty were now creeping in to the Mansfield game, a knock on from the re-start, turn over at the base of the scrum and forward passes with overlaps out wide. To their immense credit the blue and whites battled back, Hough made ground on a crash ball off loading to Symcox who in turn released Shaw to run in from half way and score under the posts, Ward added the extras to make the score 19-17 with 10 minutes to go.
Nottingham came back in determined fashion but the Blue and Whites were in no mood to let the lead slip again easily repelling Nottingham attacks. The final minutes were played out deep in the Nottingham 22 with Fly Half Elms finishing things off with a superbly taken drop goal with what was to be the last kick of the game, final score 22-17.
The large and vocal travelling support erupted in celebration of a well deserved but hard fought victory for Mansfield who add the Three Counties title to the Notts Cup victory of a couple weeks earlier to complete the double for the second successive season.
