Return of two long-lost Amigos boosts the post-match atmosphere.   

Broadstreet Thirds’ start to the season hit it’s first speed bump when Danny Rowan’s Dream Team traveled to Burnaby Road and came up against a Dunlop RFC Seconds side with more ringers than a BT warehouse.  Street for their part included first team prop, Ben Dawes, who had a monster of a game, alongside the usual mix of youth and experience (and by ‘experience’ I mean men who are frankly too old and too slow.  With kick off five minutes away, the Street boys had to double-take when they saw Dunlop furiously pushing tractor tyres around as a pre match warm up.  The only tyres visible in the Street camp were spare-tyres around some of the lads’ waistlines.

Which is Ben Dawes?The game started in the perfect manner, with props Dawes and Matty Dearden showing good hands to unleash Andy Tee on a magnificent mazy run from half way that outstripped the home defence for the opening try.  Daz Watts miraculously converted from smack in front of the sticks.  Unbelievable scenes.  The joy was short lived though as Dunlop survived some more Street pressure to go over in the left corner for an unconverted score.  Then step forward the first contender for ‘Dick of the Day’.  Mister Chairman, John Warne, has clearly been watching too much NFL, as having surged in slow motion towards the line, he chose not to score a try but instead to go for a touchdown.  The younger players in the team (they’re all younger) looked on in disbelief…  The rest of the half was a frustrating affair for Street, with stand-out player Dawes all over the pitch in attack and defence and the Street pack dominating Dunlop at scrum time.  A lack of precision and patience prevented further scores, which ultimately proved costly.

Half Time: Dunlop 5 – 7 Broadstreet.

Andrew SkeneAt half time Street made a couple of changes, Dunlop also brought on some fresh legs (fresh from the news that their 1st team game had been cancelled).  Street started the half well against a stronger Dunlop side, with Dawes again to the fore.  I haven’t seen the first team front row recently, but they either have some proper talent or they need to reconsider their selection policy!  Dawes was doing everything to try and drive his team on, aided by impressive cameos from Dearden, Danny Havart, Adam Tyrell and a young lad in the centre called Andrew Skene. The latter has a big future in the game if he can learn to walk past Greggs.  Following a second Dunlop score, with the game evenly poised, came the second contender for Dick of the Day. Just at the point where some composure was required from the older heads, Mister Chairman decided to take a short restart to himself.  Rather than the mandatory ten yards, the ball traveled about three. What was more ridiculous, the actual kick itself or that Mister Chairman thought he might have got to the ball first had it reached ten yards???  With that error the momentum of the game swung heavily towards Dunlop first team.  They eventually ran in three or four more tries, with Street relying on a quite stunning eight yard solo effort by Andy Tee (yes again).  Daz Watts obviously missed the conversion.

A good effort overall by Street, eventually punished for earlier profligacy and some tired legs in the last quarter.  The younger lads will learn from games like this, the older lads will I’m afraid be a week older.  Danny, Dream On. 

Team:

Ashley Lighthowler; Andrew Skene, Darroll Watts, Stewart Crawford, Adam Tyrell; John Warne, Andy Tee; Ben Dawes, John Brown, Matty Dearden, Danny Havart, Ian Williams; Ady Nightingale, Will Venard, Dean Watts.

Replacements:

Kev Truslove, Pete Branston, Jack Barker.

Man of the Match - Ben Dawes.

Dick of the Day  - Take a wild guess…

There was a great post-match buzz celebrating the return to the scene of Andrew Skene and Pete Branston.  Andrew had been playing more recently in South Warwickshire and Pete made a 140 mile round trip from Hertfordshire to join the cause.  Delighted to see you both. 

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