EASTERN COUNTIES DIVISION ONE Stowmarket 15 Wisbech 18 WISBECH recorded their first win away at Stowmarket in four years with an excellent performance. Wisbech were dogged in their approach and it paid off in a tight game. Late call offs and some un-avai

EASTERN COUNTIES DIVISION ONE

Stowmarket 15 Wisbech 18

WISBECH recorded their first win away at Stowmarket in four years with an excellent performance.

Wisbech were dogged in their approach and it paid off in a tight game.

Late call offs and some un-availability caused coach Steve Drawbridge to change plans and draft in some of the squad players, many of whom gave a good account of themselves.

Centre Sam Murphy and forwards Carl Ringwood and Phil Reid were all outstanding.

Tries came from Charlie Roberts and Jacques Steynberg.

Ben Wicks was superb in the back row, but the man of the match performance came from past captain, and prop, Paul Lee, who not having trained or played for a while answered his club's call and rounded off a good day with a very rare try.

The scoring was finished with a penalty to seal the points and make it three wins from four matches.

Wisbech will be looking for further improvement in preparation for tomorrow's EDF Energy Junior Vase match against Clacton.

Wisbech won though to the quarter-finals of the competition last year only to be beaten by the eventual winners Castleford.

Wisbech start in the third round of this tournament, as they did last year, and face Clacton who are currently lying second in Essex league One having not yet lost a game.

Wisbech will be looking for a good turn out at Harecroft Road, and kick-off is at 3pm.

NORFOLK MERIT TABLE

Wisbech 2nd XV 6 Spalding 2nd XV 32

WISBECH matched their opponents until an onslaught in the final 10 minutes saw Spalding notch up four scores.

Spalding had clearly come to Wisbech to run the ball against a side that on paper should play at a lower level.

Spalding nudged ahead with a penalty on 15 minutes but the scores were levelled by a 20th minute Sam Anderson penalty.

Anderson kicked another penalty to make it 6-3 to Wisbech at half-time.

Spalding put the home side under increasing pressure and made this pay with a try shortly after the turn around.

Jack Malkin was introduced at scrum-half and did well with what ball the forwards could produce against the Spalding front eight who hammered away at the home defence and visitors ran away with it in the closing minutes.

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