Plymouth Albion continued their storming start to the National One campaign with a resounding home victory over Leicester Lions at Brickfields. Despite challenging weather, a packed stadium of loyal supporters watched the league leaders deliver a dominant performance and secure another bonus-point win.
Key Takeaways
- Plymouth Albion remain unbeaten after four games, sitting top of National One.
- The Brickfields crowd witnessed a seven-try display despite tough weather.
- Skipper Jack Oulton shone with two tries and a Man of the Match performance.
- Head Coach Ryan Lamb sees plenty of room for growth despite the big win.
- Final score: Plymouth Albion 45 – 22 Leicester Lions.
Plymouth Albion were in action in their fourth game of the National One campaign, taking on Leicester Lions at home in Brickfields. Despite the overcast, cold and dreary weather that welcomed both teams, the stands at Brickfields were packed with Albion supporters, all in great spirit.
The home side came into the tie as heavy favourites, after remaining unbeaten in their three previous games, taking maximum points and sitting pretty at the top of the table.
Their opponents, Leicester, were at the opposite end of the table however, after a contrasting start to their season, keen to turn their fortunes around.
Albion’s lightning start
Albion kicked off as the floodlights came on and immediately went on the offensive heading straight for the Lions twenty two and remaining there for the opening few minutes.
Three minutes in and Bobby Wigginton found a gap in the visitors defensive line for the opening try of the game after some great vision from skipper Jack Oulton. Frankie Dart made the tricky conversion and Albion had an early 7-0 lead.
Following the try, Albion piled on the pressure once again holding a firm foothold deep inside the Lions twenty two. As they continued to drive, the penalties kept piling up for the opposition and when play was called back after a previous advantage, Jack Oulton pounced on the opportunity to take a quick tap penalty and dart through the Lions defensive line and put the ball down for Albion’s second try, which Dart followed up with another two point conversion.
Albion held a 14-0 advantage with less than twelve minutes gone.
Leicester hit back almost instantly after a mishap in the Albion backs, giving the visitors a break away try and their first points on the board. The conversion was missed leaving the score 14-5 with plenty of time left in the half.
Lions fight back
Albion then went on the backfoot, as the Lions offence clicked into a higher gear.
It was the visitors this time who managed to hold the territory, keeping the ball inside the Albion ten metre line. They came close to their second try, were it not for some composed defending from the Albion forwards.
Albion continued to have their struggles and remained firmly under the cosh, in and around their own twenty two.
Jack Oulton managed to clear the danger on multiple occasions, with a number of impressive box kicks and with five minutes left in the first half, Albion found some breathing space.
For the remaining ten minutes of the half it was the home side who dominated the play. Albion surged towards the oppositions tryline and applied constant pressure, winning numerous lineouts and scrums and consistently moving the ball forwards.
Their pressure was rewarded minutes later with their third try of the game, after a well worked set piece from a lineout culminating in Joel Broadhurst crashing over the line in the corner to make the score 19-5 to Albion.
There was just enough time however for the Lions to steal a try back themselves with the last points of the half, scoring from a lineout and making the kick to end the first half 19-12 to Albion.
Second half intensity
The home side made a change at half time, bringing on Dan Pullinger, who had an immediate impact, shoring up Albion’s defensive line and also adding some power to the attack.
The opening minutes of the first half saw plenty of open play and some good spells of possession for both teams. Albion held a slender territorial advantage however, one that they turned into a try when Jenson Boughton managed to bulldoze his way over the line, after some sustained pressure and a well worked move.
Despite the try being right in the corner, Frankie Dart managed a pinpoint accurate kick to put the home side up 26-12.
Five minutes later and the visitors once again raised their game, looking far from the team that currently resides at the foot of the National One table.
They moved the ball expertly into the Albion twenty two and after a well worked lineout, mauled their way over the line to close the gap to 26-17, after the conversion was missed.
Albion run away with it
The pace of the game remained fast and relentless. Just five minutes after the restart and Albion piled on the pressure.
They showed great patience and composure, moving the ball deeper into the Lions twenty two, and excellent ball movement found a charging Jack Oulton who burst through a gap, putting the ball down almost under the posts. Iwan Jenkins made the kick, after being subbed on for Dart and Albion were once again in the ascendance.
Moments later, with a little over ten minutes left in the game, Albion again mounted a surge for the Lions tryline. A fantastic spell was capped off with Louie Gulley powering over the line, carrying a couple of Lions bodies with him. Iwan Jenkins was good again from the conversion, sending the ball through the posts from a narrow angle.
Minutes later and again Albion forced the play, this time working the ball wide to a rampaging Angus Hogdes, who put the ball down for another try for the home side, making the score 45-17. Jenkins missed the kick however, from a tough angle.
With only two minutes to go the Lions hit back. Another set piece from a lineout and they mauled over the line, closing the gap to 45-22, giving them a few minutes to try and rescue something from the game.
However, Albion proved too strong for their opposition and actually finished the game pushing for the Leicester line in what ended up a resounding win.
Reactions from the Pitch
The skipper Jack Oulton was named Nuffield Health Man of the Match, and captain fantastic had this to say post game,
“The boys put in one hell of a shift and the forwards did a great job. They really had to fight for sixty minutes.Leicester really put us under for sixty minutes and made us work really hard, but I think our fitness showed in the last twenty minutes and we ran away with it, which was nice.”
Head Coach Ryan Lamb was happy with his sides overall performance, and the improvement they’ve made, saying
“The first half was a bit frustrating, the boy’s effort was definitely there, we just came away from what we’ve been good at over the last three games. We went a little too individual and there were a lot of errors in our own half, which we haven’t done this season so far.
We did have some great defensive sets that said… It wasn’t the best we’ve performed, but look at the scoreline.
In previous years we might not have got the bonus point, or we might even have lost by a point or two, but we’ve won it comfortably, so that does show the progression we’ve made over the last couple of seasons.”
Written by Pablo Cheeks. For more Albion news visit their website HERE
