THE LOVE DOCTOR HEALS THE WOUND
With burnhams pitch full of standing water from the heavy rain the night before the game was reversed to a home fixture for yatton, so with short notice travel arrangements were made and the short trip was made to yatton. This was unfortunate as burnham were to hold their annual old boys reunion but hopefully another will be arrannged towards the end of the season.
As the game started it was clear to see that burnham were ready to get rid of the losing streak that had been hanging over them for the last 7 weeks. from start to finish burnham were the dominant side in open play and the back row of dan spellman matt bonell and stuart blake, ball was secured or turned over with ease at the break down giving good clean ball to burnhams backs who were also finally firing on all cylinders and were looking to attack from anywhere.
From a ruck the ball was fed to fly half tim piper who made an excellent break who then in turn released flying winger matt love to sprint in from 35metres.
Soon after came burnhams second with good phase ball from the forwards the backs were released and a simple set of passing across the back line put love into the corner for his second.
halftime score was 0-10 to burnham.
the team talk was brief and simple play down the slope and use the quick ball to release the backs.
5 minutes into the 2nd half burnhams excellent winger jordan paul scored a great solo try, catching the ball on his half way line he cut through yattons defence to score under the posts. piper conv
Now with burnham into the attacking gear they have failed to find for a while burnham worked the ball down into the oppositions 22 and with the big ball carriers in the shape of alan house, sam coles and matt slater a ruck was set up and spun out to piper who spotted jordan paul outwide on his own and put in an outstanding crossfield kick for paul to collect and to score his second.
As normal though with burnham the foot was taken off the pedal and allowed yatton to get back into the game and with pressure on burnhams scrum on their line a penalty try was awarded to yatton.
But like burnham of old they used this to kick on and get down the other end and again from good phase play by bonel quick ball was spun out to nick mcken who fed piper who with quick soft hands sent spellman skipping away to score down in the corner.
Then came the moment burnhams players and supporters wont forget for a long time, burnhams prop sam coles picked the ball up from inside his own half and with the skill of england legend jason robinson he produced an outstanding run full of dummies and side steps he stormed through the oppositions defence to score a try of international class. (or he was given the ball from a yard out and tripped over a players leg and fell over the try line) with piper converting it made the final score 7-34.
This was the burnham of old with forwards and backs linking well in attack and then even stronger in the defence which has been letting them down over recent weeks. This is just what burnham needed although they would of taken any kind of win at the start to win with such dominance and attacking flair gives them even more confidence going into next saturdays local derby away to weston hornets. So the pressure is off smiles are back on the faces and burnham go back up the table instead of going down it.
But the work starts now at training to get back up the table and keep the winning run going.
Man of the match jordan paul.