Three tries, three yellow cards, a hugely controversial try awarded by the referee but ultimately another disappointment for Hornets who matched table topping Clifton for much of the game but were undone by a back division that showed greater speed of thought and execution. Yet again though, Hornets went down heavily in the first 20 minutes and spent the rest of the game playing catch-up. This time, it was a bridge too far.

DOR Scott Hamilton was disappointed with the result but not with the shift that the team put in. ‘I couldn’t fault the boy’s effort and we stuck at it well even when we went down to 13 for a while. They had a lot more pace out wide and that was the difference in the end. They took their opportunities well; we left a few points out there.’

‘The killer was the try on half-time. In the context of the game, I would have been happy to go in at half-time at 5-14 after we had had to weather two yellow cards, and we even had a golden opportunity to score just before the break when we had a scrum on their line. But their nine managed to disrupt the scrum, they flung it wide, and their wing went the length of the pitch. Suddenly, we’re going in 5-21 down when it could easily have been 12-14.’

‘Yet again, we were coming out for the second half having to chase. I still thought we could get back in it though, and we did, but in the end, they were too good a side to give that kind of start to. It might have been different had we scored that try.’

‘That said, I do think there was much to be pleased with. We created opportunities, scored some nice tries, and we showed we are able to change the point of attack, something we have been working on in training. And we are now seeing some of the youngsters coming through. Adam Groocock was outstanding, and we’ll be looking to give a few others their chance in the next few weeks.’

There is no doubt that had Hornets scored just before half-time, it would have changed the game. But ultimately the question has to be raised as to why, yet again, Hornets went so far behind in the first twenty minutes. This time it was a little different in that it wasn’t so much inept play that saw them go behind but simply a lack of numbers, when they went down to 13 men for a period.
Clifton were relentless in the opening 10 minutes, but this time the defence held well. Dale Bowyer was perhaps unlucky to be carded for an offence on the line when it appeared that Hornets had held up a Clifton maul, but the card for Josh Smith four minutes later for yet another deliberate knock-on was entirely avoidable. It cost two tries!

Ollie Povoas was perhaps fortunate not to join his teammates in the bin for a high tackle 5m out, but Clifton then took a tap penalty with only 13 against them and the ball was driven over. Luke Cozens, who had an outstanding game at fly-half for the visitors, converted.

From the restart, Clifton retrieved the ball, and a chip out wide was caught by wingman Alex Howman who ran the length of the field to touch down in the corner. Cozens converted via the post and Hornets were again 14 down with only 20 minutes on the clock.

With 15 back on the field, Hornets at last started to show something of what they are capable of and pulled one back on the half-hour. Hornets bravely opted to go for the corner with a penalty from the Clifton 22m in front of the posts, and it paid off. The line-out drive was held but after some patient work, Mitch Lamb found a way over. Rory Vowles missed the conversion.

Then came the ‘killer’ try. With a couple of minutes remaining before the break, Hornets secured a 5m scrum after Clifton knocked on in their own 22m from a Hinckley penalty line-out. They looked odds-on to score, but Clifton scrum-half Mitch Spencer managed to do enough to disrupt the pick-up at the back of the scrum, the loose ball was pounced on by Clifton, fed along the back line at lightning pace to Howman who again ran the length of the field to score. Cozens converted.

Hornets did come out with renewed purpose after the break and closed the gap to 11 points within the first five minutes when Dale Bowyer forced his way over after a good break from Povoas from a line-out had set up the chance.

With 20 minutes left, Hornets seemed to have given themselves every opportunity to snatch the game when Toby Baldwin found space to go over after a Hinckley penalty line-out in the Clifton 22m to bring the score back to 15-21 but then came the controversy.

Hornets were under pressure in their own 22m One penalty line-out had been defended but at the cost of another 5m out. The throw came in, the ball was gathered by the Clifton pack, but Hornets did not challenge. Clifton bound on and walked the ball over the line. It seemed like a clear penalty to Hornets under the new laws, but the referee saw it differently and awarded the try. The home crowd were in uproar, particularly when the touch judge appeared to suggest to the referee he might have got it wrong, but the try stood and effectively ended the game.

Hornets stuck at it, but the belief had gone. It was a dreadful way for a game to end. Alex Salt did pick up a third Hinckley yellow with six minutes remaining but somehow it didn’t seem to matter.

Nick Robinson