Plymouth Albion were denied a famous away victory as league leaders Rotherham Titans landed a last-gasp drop goal to win a dramatic National One title clash 22–19 at Clifton Lane.
Albion had looked set to claim a statement win against the table-toppers after controlling large spells of the match and taking a first-half lead through the boot of fly-half Iwan Jenkins.
Jenkins opened the scoring with two penalties before Albion struck the game’s first try. A charged-down kick deep in Titans territory created the opportunity for Joel Brodhurst to power over, with Jenkins adding the conversion to give the visitors a deserved advantage at half-time.
Rotherham responded after the break and began to gain the upper hand at the scrum following injuries to Albion forwards Dan Pullinger and Jenson Boughton. A series of penalties allowed the hosts to build pressure and draw level.
Albion continued to defend resolutely, with centre Jack Oulton producing a crucial turnover deep in his own half to halt a dangerous Titans attack as the match entered its closing stages.
The visitors appeared to have a late opportunity to win the game when a break opened space in the Rotherham defence, but a knock-on ended the move and handed possession back to the home side.
With the scores locked at 19-19 in the dying seconds, Rotherham seized their chance. After forcing a turnover, the Titans calmly set up a drop goal and split the posts with the final kick of the match to seal a dramatic victory.
Despite the late heartbreak, Albion’s performance against the league leaders keeps them firmly in the National One title race.
Final score: Rotherham Titans 22–19 Plymouth Albion
