Hornets pulled off a stunning bonus point victory against high-flying Dings Crusaders at Shaftesbury Park on Saturday and leapfrogged over the West countrymen to move into third place in the division. Tries from Dale Bowyer, Dave Peck, Mitch Lamb, and Frankie Sleightholme, together with four conversions and two penalties from Joe Wilson proved too much for the Warriors.
The score might suggest that it was a relatively comfortable victory for Hinckley but the truth was that the game was on a knife edge right up to the final minute when Mitch Lamb crashed over from short range after Ben Pointon had pounced on a loose ball on halfway and almost reached the line with a trademark dazzling run. Wilson’s conversion took the Hornets eleven points clear as the referee blew for time.
Dings could perhaps feel they were hard done to come away with nothing but a combination of some outstanding Hinckley defence in the second half and a poorly functioning Dings line-out were enough to see off their challenge and Hornets were, in the end, deserving winners.
Hinckley DOR Chris Campbell was delighted with the result. ‘Beating one of the top 3 teams in the league away from home was a big target for us, especially after the Clifton defeat, and knowing we have beaten a side who have overturned both Clifton and Lions is fantastic for our confidence.’

‘What was really pleasing about today is that some areas we had identified as needing improvement from the November games and had worked hard on in training, were a big part of the reason we won. Our composure in the 22m in particular was much better. Game management is still an issue for us. We could have made our lives much easier than we did in the final 20, but that shouldn’t take away from what was a very good all round performance.’
It was a curious game to watch. The two teams exchanged scores almost at will in the first half with Hornets taking a narrow 15-21 lead into the break but scoring was at a premium in the second period with just a Joe Wilson penalty and a try for Dings before Lamb’s last-minute intervention. Much of the final quarter saw Hornets pinned in their own half and forced to repel wave after wave of Warriors’ attacks, but they held out for the victory much to the chagrin of the local support.
Dings had opened the scoring with a Ciaran Donoghue penalty after just five minutes, but Hinckley responded immediately to take the lead with a try from Bowyer after Wilson had set up a penalty line-out from 5m and the pack had driven to the line in what looked a remarkably comfortable fashion. Wilson converted.
The Warriors came back with a near carbon copy try at the other end six minutes later and Donoghue added the extras to restore their three-point lead.
The game threatened to run away from Hinckley when Dings scored again just three minutes later after Ben Pointon had been forced to carry over his own line when fielding a tricky kick deep into the Hinckley 22m. Hinckley were penalised from the 5m scrum and Dings scrum half Tom Knight took a quick tap to dart over unchallenged. This time though Donoghue could not convert.
But back came Hornets with another catch and drive from a penalty line-out as the first quarter came to an end, Dave Peck this time touching down. Wilson slotted the conversion to make it a one-point game.
Hornets then retook the lead with a wonderful piece of counter attacking from their own 22m as the half was drawing to a close. Josh Leonard, on for the injured Rory Vowles, collected a kick deep in his own 22m and set off up-field. Luke Hibberd took the ball into the Dings half and some nice interplay saw Sleightholme finish the move for the try. Wilson converted and it was enough to send Hinckley into the break with a 15-21 lead.
On the return, Sleightholme went close again after some nice approach work but it was down to Wilson to make it a two score lead from another penalty after some foolish back chat by Dings caused the referee to bring the kick within his range.
Dings were anything but finished though and eventually got a try when winger Sol Taufa got on the end of a clever grubber kick behind the Hornets defence after a lengthy period of heroic Hinckley defence in their own 22m. Crucially though, Donoghue missed the conversion to leave Hornets still four points clear but with seventeen left to play.
The rest of the half saw the crowd on tenterhooks as Dings pressed for what would likely have been a winning score. They had their chances but Hornets stood firm despite putting themselves under unnecessary pressure on occasions. Lamb’s try at the death finally settled things but it had been a close run thing!
Nick Robinson