MANOR Park’s steely defence laid the foundations for a third away victory of the season, writes Bobby Bridge. The whitewash ensured the visitors have conceded just six points in three Midlands 4 West South matches and have conceded just one try in five hours of rugby. Despite securing a victory which keeps them third, Park will rue a raft of missed opportunities to secure a try-scoring bonus point that was there for the taking. Welsh started the livelier of the two sides, breaking from deep with powerful runs exposing some suspect early defence but Park’s hungry pack ensured no sustained pressure was applied. It was a thumping tackle from Lee Maddison inside his own 22 which curtailed Welsh’s best attack of the half and a penalty awarded for holding on pushed Park into opposition territory. One of the most pleasing aspects of the visitors’ play in the first half was their continuity, with Adam Lawrence, Aaron Willis and Joe Reynolds making inroads. Sensing Manor were on the verge of a score after Willis’ linebreak, a streetwise Welsh forward failed to roll away from a tackle giving Dan Joyce a tricky penalty 15 metres in from touch but he dissected the uprights to open the scoring. The Joyce brothers combined on 27 minutes to inspire Park’s first try of the game. A clearance kick from Welsh was superbly caught under intense pressure by younger sibling Lee, who then presented good ball at the subsequent ruck. With the defence disorganised, Park quickly broke blind with Michael Kemp drawing his man and offloading to Dan Joyce to fend off a poor tackle to dive over for his sixth try of the season. Scrum-half Liam Rose wrapped up a fine first-half display with a clever box kick on his own 10-metre line which located a Welsh winger, who was bundled into touch by Lee Joyce. Attacking into the golden glare of the lowering sunshine, Park had flashes of attacking prowess as their opposition haemorrhaged penalties and survived on precious little possession. Great interplay between Lawrence and Luke Powell earned some space out wide and a penalty saw Dan Joyce punt into touch. But in the absence of a specialist hooker, Manor’s lineout rarely secured possession denying the backs prime opportunities to spring attacks in the red zone. So it was a fluke assist when Dan Joyce scuffed a routine penalty kick to touch and prompted Welsh’s winger and fullback into action to keep the ball in play after 52 minutes. Pressure was applied by Lawrence and Gaz Hammond and a penalty was awarded 10 metres from the try line. Dan Joyce tapped and passed to Kemp, Maddison drifted and spun wide to Lee Walker who had plenty to do but managed to avoid three covering defenders and a desperate attempt on the line to dive over brilliantly just inches from the corner flag for his fifth try of the campaign. The biggest disappointment for Manor Park was with 28 minutes to play, 10 of which were against 14 men after a sin-binning, no further scores were added. Lawrence made 40 metres before being hauled down with the line tantalisingly close and Reynolds had the try his game richly deserved robbed from him by a fine tackle for the game’s final play. | 
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