Lichfield 18 Old Hales 32

HALES travelled to Cooke Fields in a tantalising second versus third fixture which lived up to its enticing billing. Lichfield took an early lead through a Rhyan Gordon penalty.

Hales gradually exerted their superiority in the forwards and were eventually rewarded with a score when Eoin McMahon scored when he powered over the line.

Fly-half Ben Smith added the conversion.

Three minutes before the break, against the run of play, Lichfield exposed a gap in the Hales midfield and scored a Gordon-converted try.

Shortly after the break, influential substitute Gary Cox finished off another fine forward-led try for Hales, which was converted by Smith.

He then extended the Hales lead to four with a successful penalty.

Disaster then struck for Hales when a mix up at a failed clearance handed the speedy Lichfield backs the ball with Luke Massey touching down in the corner for an unconverted try to give the hosts a one-point lead. The visitors came back strongly and from a five-metre scrum, the dangerous Jon Tideswell popped the ball to captain Chris Wagstaff who scrambled over for a simple score.

Despite missing the conversion, Smith was able to make amends in the 68th minute with a penalty kick to take Hales seven points clear. Indeed, the deciding score came from Smith, six minutes from time, when spotting half a gap in the covering defence, he stepped inside his opposite man and raced under the posts to score.