Not pretty, but a satisfying win away from home against a game Loughborough Students RFC side, who due to their precarious position in the league, were bolstered by half a dozen or so Leicester dual registered players.

An injury in the first minute to Loughborough’s wing Jack Stapley was thought to have hampered the home side. However the try that quickly followed served as a wakeup call for the visitors, as Stapley’s replacement George De Cothi nipped over in the corner following an attacking scrum. (5 – 0)

Although home fly half Owen Waters missed the conversion, he was successful with a penalty, as DMPRFC were adjudged offside seven minutes later. (8 – 0)

DMPRFC did have some possession during the next quarter, but seemed lethargic in intent, losing possession in the tackle, making excessive amounts of mistakes and wrong options and that coupled with some excellent home defence, restricted DMPRFC to midfield mediocrity.

Matters improved for DMPRFC however, as the visitors piled on the pressure, moving ever closer to the home try line and when lock Joseph Maksymiw was yellow carded for failing to release in the tackle, from the resulting penalty which was kicked to touch, Garry LAW touched down from the lineout drive (8 – 5), with fly half Warren SEALS redressing the arrears just before oranges. (8 – 7)

So anybody’s game as the interval arrived, but not the open game anticipated prior to kick off had failed to materialise.

Home kicker Waters exchanged penalties with DMPRFC’s SEALS, (11 – 10) but as the students’ forwards visibly tired, the visitors pack began to punch through the holes that they hadn’t earlier, with flanker Dave FISHER and lock Talite VAIOLETI prominent.

Some frustration crept into the students’ game, with some shoulder tackles evident and some afters, which was punished by the official, to the discontent of the few home supporters in attendance. Also persistently stopping the game for frequent injuries after every passage of play did not endear them to the large group of visiting supporters who’d made the journey South.

It was only a matter of time before DMPRFC broke the line and as the game entered the final quarter, DMPRFC Player of the Match prop Alfie BARRON barged over for the try (11 – 15), with SEALS converting from wide out. (11 – 17)

As both teams emptied the replacement locker, Waters clawed back another three points with a well struck penalty (14 – 17), before DMPRFC’s top try scorer Callum MACKENZIE added to his sixteen tries for the season, with another typical, aggressive surge to extend the visitors lead (14 – 22), SEALS adding the extras (14 – 24).

Loughborough’s Waters kicked a further consolation penalty for his side’s losing bonus point, as the news arrived that Coventry’s 38 – 21 victory over Hull Ionians had more than ensured the students survival in National League One.

But DMPRFC had further underlined their ‘silver medal’ spot in the league and ended an excellent season, finishing the highest ever league position in the clubs history.

MATCH TEAM AND STATISTICS

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC
Olowofela (Davies, 69), Stapley J, Hirskyj-Douglas, Stapley T (De Cothi, 1), Glashan, Waters, Winter-Moates, Hills (Heyes, 61), Davison (King, 72), Heyes (Davis, 35), Maksymiw (Kingham, 65), Frost, Lewis, Boyce, Tuilagi.

SCORING
Try: De Cothi (2)
Conversion: None
Penalty: Waters (9, 52, 72, 76)
Drop Goal: None
Yellow card: Maksymiw (37)
Loughborough Students Player of the Match: Andrew Boyce

DMPRFC
Connon G, Asher-Wood (McCartney, 57), Frankland, Law (Radwan, 40), Mackenzie, Seals, Connon B, Barron, Wood, Darkintis (Appleby, 48), Brady (Heaton, 48), Vaioleti (Preston-Routledge, 65), Fisher, Craggs, Hodgson.

SCORING
Try: Law (38), Barron (59), Mackenzie (73)
Conversion: Seals (39, 60. 74)
Penalty: Seals (55)
Drop Goal: None
Yellow card – None
DMPRFC Player of the Match: Alfie Barron.

Referee: Dan Parrott
Attendance: 253.