Gloucestershire South Tribute 4

Ross RFC 16 Drybrook 2nds 26

ROSS entertained local rivals and league leaders Drybrook 2nds on Saturday and put up a spirited performance in a battling loss, reports IAN PHILLIPS.

The first half belonged to the hosts, who took the lead on 15 minutes from the boot of fly-half Tom Mulhearn through a penalty kick.

And better was to come five minutes later when Mulhearn chipped ahead from the halfway line and centre Chris Thomas caught the ball and raced in at the corner for a try, the conversion just falling short.

Drybrook hit back with a penalty and then a try in the corner to level the scores 8-8 though, but Mulhearn responded with a well executed penalty from a tight angle for 11-8.

The visitors again were successful with a penalty kick to level the scores once more, but just before the interval Ross winger Connor Poole was on the end of some slick passing and just managed to get over the whitewash amidst some last-ditch tacking from Drybrook for a 16-11 half-time lead.

The league leaders for sure weren’t firing on full cylinders, but credit to Ross for spoiling their game.

Time and again the hosts were fast up in the line and put in some huge tackles, in particular No 8 Gavin Oates and second row Cameron Powell.

However, the more experienced Drybrook hit back after the restart, scoring from a quick tap penalty from their scrum-half before Ross had retreated 10 yards, going over near the posts followed by the conversion for 18-16 to the visitors.

A Drybrook penalty and a late unconverted try put the dampers on what was a solid performance overall from Ross, for whom Tom Mulhearn was man of the match

This Saturday (November 16) Ross are again at home, 2.30pm kick-off, against second-placed Frampton Cotterell.