Hinckley travelled to Bretton Woods the home of Peterborough Lions for this latest round of N3M league encounters. Without Tom Morris, Sam Masserella and Mark Deaville the pack was disrupted meaning starts for Ewan Bartlett, Matt Walker and Ben Avent while Dylan Weddle took his place in the troublesome right wing slot. Phil McQueen, Huw Marsden and Rich Harris made up the bench.

It was obvious from the very start that the home side were very determined to use their combative and large pack to do damage to the visitors. They achieved go forward ball and dominated the break down as Hinckley struggled to come to terms with their physically. The Lions converted two early penalties in the opening quarter to confirm their credentials although a probing kick from Mark Lord put the visitors in a strong position five metres out from Lions try line. The resultant line out was won, the ball spun wide to Callum Dacey wide on the left who cut in to score a fine try. Joe Glover couldn’t add the conversion, but Hinckley had settled down and narrowed the score to 6-5.
The hosts came back strongly breaking through the Hinckley defensive line to score a try wide on the left, with the conversion being missed to take an 11-5 lead.
Just before half time Hinckley put together a series of attacks eventually being held up over the Lions line. The referee went back to a penalty she had already awarded in the build up which Glover converted to put the visitors back in the game at 11-8.

The second half started well for Hinckley and heralded their best spell of play of the whole game. Glover converted another penalty to level the score at 11-11 then Mitch Lamb scorched over for the visitors second try after some good work by Matt Walker. Glover added the conversion to move Hinckley out to an 11-18 lead. Back came the Lions with a long range penalty for a 14-18 scoreline then a dynamic rolling maul pushed the home pack over their own line with Luke Coltman getting the touchdown which gave some daylight to the scoreline at14-23. Glover missed the conversion. Huw Marsden and Phil McQueen entered the game as the hosts threw the kitchen sink at Hinckley. Another long range Lions penalty, followed by injuries to Dacey and Josh Smith with Marsden yellow carded in some desperate scramble defence to keep the hosts out. Rich Harris came on but the pressure told as the Lions scored a converted try to take the lead 24-23 with minutes left on the clock.
Direct from the Hinckley kick off Lions infringed, Glover kicked for the corner where at the resultant line out the Lions infringed again leaving a very kickable penalty to win the game for Hinckley.
For a few seconds the Hinckley faithful thought a Chris Robshaw moment was brewing although sanity prevailed and the kick at goal was selected. Glover stepped up and his wibbly, wobbly kick just struggled over the cross bar and Hinckley took the game 24-26 to the delight of the visitors and understandable despair of the home side.

Not Hinckley’s finest hour as apart from the third quarter of the game they unusually failed to deal with the hosts physicality. Travelling into the Lions den is always a hard ask to gain a victory just as it turned out. But as they say “a win is a win” and the quest for promotion continues. Main rivals Scunthorpe had an equally hard time at home as Birmingham/Solihull nearly triumphed eventually losing 17-16.

Phew!