Hinckley Stags made the coach journey to Market Rasen and Louth Rugby Club in good spirits, but also wary of the Lincolnshire clubs strong home record. The Stags had also been affected by 1st XV promotions, injuries to key personnel and several players playing out of their normal positions.

Hinckley started positively and scored early wide on the right through full back Euan Kelly. After several drives close to the line had been stopped, quick hands from Dom Ames and Kristian Powell gave Kelly the chance to open the scoring. He duly obliged. Powell’s conversion was blown wide, but the score line could have been been added to on several occasions in the first quarter as chances were created, but not taken by the Stags. George Marsden did get on the end of a kick through, but the referee deemed that he had not grounded the ball first.

Conditions got worse as the half progressed, with driving rain and a very heavy pitch. Mistakes came from both sides as the game descended into a midfield arm wrestle. Hinckley conceded two kickable penalties, which were converted to enable the home side to take a narrow 6-5 lead into the half time break.

Worse was to come as Powell missed a penalty attempt to take the lead and then Rasen scored a try through their backs just wide of the posts. The score was converted for a 13-5 lead midway through the half and the Stags were up against it.

Hinckley rang the changes and substitutes Will Spiers and Jacob Drabble entered the fray, joining captain Ricky Moran off the bench, who had earlier replaced prop Ewan Bartlett. The tide started to turn.

Powell started to use the wind and pinned Rasen into their own 22. Good kick chases and improved defence forced the home sides half backs to make desperate and inaccurate decisions with play now concentrated in the Rasen half. Hinckley were beginning to put together some good phases of play stretching the home defence. Dom Ames eventually crossed for a Stags try from a rolling maul to narrow the gap to 13-10, although Powell wasn’t able to add the extras.

Game on. Hinckley were now in the ascendency showing their better fitness levels as darkness drew in. Two kickable penalties were earned deep in Rasen territory and Powell converted both for a 13-16 scoreline. Hinckley withstood Rasen’s late pressure in the final 3 minutes to hold on to their slim advantage and take the point.

Hinckley managed to get out of jail at the death, unlike both Mellish and Loughborough who failed to gain a victory at Willingham Road. Lincoln have to travel there before Christmas, so Rasen have, and probably will, have a say in the fortunes of the sides at the top of this league.

The Under 23’s accompanied the Stags and came away with a 10-35 friendly win against Rasen’s 2nd XV.

Burton 2’s next week at home and then the big one - Mellish away at Mapperley Plains - and, hopefully, a more than Merry Christmas for the Stags!

MAN OF THE MATCH: Tom Sanderson - brought much needed experience into the engine room.