Bournville Head Coach Matt Price was left to rue missed chances as his side failed to score a try for the first time this season in the 23-12 defeat by Old Redcliffians at Avery Fields.
Bourns had plenty of pressure but their patient approach work went unrewarded as Old Redcliffians’ aggressive and well-organised defence secured them a first away win of the season.
All that Bourns had to show for their efforts on a cold and dank afternoon were four penalties from scrum-half Freddie Morgan and not even the consolation of a losing bonus point.
“I thought our first-half was a lot better than recent times. We stuck to the game plan and we managed and played in the right areas, so that was pleasing,” Price said.
“We had a couple of chances to get some tries on the board but couldn’t take them and it was a case of that in the second-half. We had plenty of chances in their 22 to convert pressure that we had built with good play but we didn’t take them.
“We didn’t finish Rob Kox’s break when we were five metres from the line, Nathan Decalmer made a break then chucked it away when we had to keep the ball, recycle it, move it two passes and we should have been in somewhere.
“We had a scrum penalty ten metres out but nothing came of it, then we had a penalty five metres out, a scrap happened we got it overturned and we got a yellow card.
“It was a case of not taking our chances in the second-half. If we had done that scoreline would definitely have looked a lot different.
“But there were some positives which we will take as we plan and regroup.”
Bournville now turn their attention to next Saturday’s tough assignment against Luctonians, last season’s runners-up, at Mortimer Park.
They are likely to make the trip to Herefordshire without centre Sam Grimshaw, who departed early against Old Redcliffians with a knee injury and left the pitch on crutches.
