Holt miss out on rugby double

Stowmarket 40, Holt 13

HOLT missed out on a league double after Stowmarket opened the scoring with a converted try after five minutes.

Holt were just off target with a penalty attempt two minutes later, but they kept up the pressure and were rewarded when Wright scored a try which Derbyshire converted for 7-7.

Stowmarket, breaking out of defence, took a 10-7 lead with a penalty after 31 minutes. Six minutes later Derbyshire levelled the scores with a penalty.

Holt had the benefit of the slope second half and after two minutes Derbyshire put them 13-10 in the lead with a penalty. Stowmarket raised their game, levelled the scores with another penalty and then began to dictate play.

Although they missed a penalty, they scored a converted try after 12 minutes. Holt were doing their utmost to break the stranglehold and again did not help their cause by conceding another penalty for a late tackle which increased the deficit to 23-13.

Although Holt had a chance with a penalty, they could not maintain the pressure. Holt conceded another penalty after 30 minutes and the Stowmarket stand-off extended the lead to 26-13.

The Stowmarket right wing caught the ball on the halfway line and scored a converted try by running diagonally across the pitch with hardly a hand laid on him. This disaster was repeated when two Holt defenders got themselves into a complete muddle and gifted Stowmarket another converted try to take the score to 40-13.

Despite this setback Holt maintain their position of fourth in league table and now have a three-point cushion over the team below them.

This was their third league defeat in a row and two of them have been away by teams below them.

On Saturday Holt are away again, to Thurston with the chance of completing the double, and on Sunday they are at home to Dereham in the Woodforde's Norfolk Junior Cup.