Stourbridge Saxons pipped by Jersey

Stourbridge Saxons 18 Jersey 19

Stourbridge Saxons were edged out by the narrowest of margins by a well-drilled, all-action Jersey outfit who seemed to relish the sunny Stourton Park conditions.

A try in each half – from winger Nathan Bressington and centre Ben Barkley – saw the home side outscore their visitors but they had failed to take into account teenage Channel Islander Michael Le Bourgeois, who kept his side ahead with a fine kicking display.

Jersey arrived with a reputation for being slow starters but that was far from the case as they had the Saxons on the back foot straight from the whistle.

Had it not been for some impressive defending from the home side and some wrong options from the visitors, they would surely have crossed inside a frantic opening spell.

But the Stourbridge line survived in tact and all they could show for their efforts was an 11^th minute Le Bourgeois penalty.

Jersey's only try of the game came midway through the half, scrum-half David McCormack tapping a penalty as the Saxons were still gathering their thoughts and weaved his way 40 metres to the line, Le Bourgeois slotting over a simple conversion.

Mark Woodrow posted the first Saxons points with a 23^rd minute penalty but this was cancelled out by Le Bourgeois 10 minutes later.

The Jersey stand-off slotted over another at the end of the half but this was preceded by Stourbridge's best move of the game.

Jim Jenner broke from the back of the scrum before the ball was recycled by his back row partners for Bressington to collect on the right wing.

The powerhouse muscled his way through two tackles before touching down beneath the posts. Woodrow kicked the extras.

Trailing by six points at the break but, with the wind at the backs in the second-half, the prospects looked promising for the Saxons.

But they struggled for possession as the visitors took a stranglehold on the game.

A fourth Le Bourgeois penalty stretched Jersey's advantage within five minutes of the restart and, had he slotted over a fifth soon after, then home hopes would have truly been dashed.

Instead, Barkley intercepted a try to run in from 40 metres to hand the Saxons a lifeline. Woodrow missed the conversion but was successful with a penalty 15 minutes from the end to edge his side to within a point.

But that was where the Stourbridge recovery ended and the final stages saw Jersey back in control of the ball, happy with their four-point haul.