Paul Cox reports on the game between St Ives and Long Buckby

St Ives started brightly, keeping hold of the ball and working their way downfield. A penalty was kicked into the opposition 22, from the resulting line-out a break from Alex Henly breached the defensive line, enabling him to offload to the supporting Ollie Bartlett who ran in to open the scoring. The try was duly converted by Charlie Mandley.

Long Buckby are not near the top of the table for nothing and started to play their game, forcing the hosts back, but the defence was not to be breached as they snuffled out assorted attacks and launching their own offence.

Ives were caught offside but the resulting penalty was kicked wide of the posts leaving Buckby scoreless.

Michael Sykes prevents Long Buckby making ground (Image: Paul Cox)

However, Buckby continued to press and had it not been for a covering tackle from Henly they looked odds on to score.

Ives won a scrum but failed to clear their lines with the ball finding the Buckby fly-half, he pushed Ives back with a raking kick close to the Ives goal-line.

This line-out also provided a try as the ball was not claimed cleanly, the visitors were the quickest to claim the loose ball, and flopping over the line for their only try of the game. The conversion went close leaving Ives two points ahead.

The second quarter saw much of the play taking place mid-pitch as neither side could gain control and no real threat to either goal-line.

An attack from the visitors was snuffed out and the ball dropped for Ives to race down the pitch.

Ives kicked a penalty to the corner, but the attack once again floundered as play returned to the centre of the pitch. With the half drawing to a close the visitors were too eager to close down the Ives attack with the penalty slotted by Mandley. Ives going into the break 10-5 to the good.

Long Buckby got the second period underway, but immediately Ives broke clear through one of their young guns, Ollie Giglio, he was stopped inside the Buckby half.

This led to The Bulls setting up camp in and around the Buckby 22 for the next 20 minutes or so, often threatening but unable to find the final pass to send a player through a gap.

The concession of a penalty enabled the visitors to relieve the pressure and clear their lines, working their way downfield to apply some pressure of their own. The defence was resolute until a wayward defender stepped out of line, conceding a penalty in front of the posts. Buckby opted to kick to narrow the deficit to two points.

Ives went back on the attack, to no avail as the green line stood firm. There was little time left in the game as the visitors launched another attack, courtesy of another home infringement.

They applied some more pressure and, although the blue line was solid, were awarded another penalty as a tackle was a little on the high side. The kick went over, via the post, for Long Buckby to claim the lead for the first time in the game.

Ives claimed the restart and pressed hard, finally a pass went to hand and the defence breached only for the referee to deem that the pass went forward. Whistle blown and the visitors claimed a last gasp victory 11-10.