For this match, they travelled down to Arnold, Nottingham for the return fixture with Paviors. When the two sides meet earlier in the season at Gosforth Fields Dronfield won quite convincingly 52-15.
In order to maintain their four point lead over rivals Lichfield, Dronfield were hoping to gain maximum points from the match This however was not going to be easy as Paviors have improved significantly recently, scoring 24 points in losing away at Walsall and more surprisingly shocking third place West Bridgeford with a win away 25-22. Unfortunately Dronfield were unable to field their strongest side missing influential players through injury and unavailability.
They were hoping to find conditions conducive to their attacking style of play and surprisingly found the playing surface far better than anticipated although somewhat unevenThe game started with Dronfield playing up the slope, pressurising the Paviors pack at the first scrum and moving the ball around in order to create space for an attack.
However a Dronfield midfield mistake led to a Paviors inteception and converted try This meant that surprisingly the home side led 7-0 after only five minutes play. It wasn't long before the visitors made amends. Possession was gained from a line-out close to the halfway line, winger Jack Longden made a decisive break and Reika Mahmid was on hand to finish with his 16th try of the season.
Jake Steade conversion brought the scores level 7-7 Soon after Dronfield took the lead for the first time in the game A planned line-out move , a clean mid- field surge from Chris Pond gave him space to score and with another successful conversion Dronfield now led 14-7To Pavior's credit they were encamped in their opponents half for a long period of play with Dronfield seeming unable to play to their strengths Resolute defending and a lack of variety in Paviors attacking options created a stalemate at this stage of the game.
What was need was a spark of skilful play and that is just what was then achieved. Against the run of play , Dronfield's Reika Ahmid gained possession in his own 22 and outsprinted the Pavior's cover to score an outstanding individualistic try. At half time Dronfield led 19-7 but will feel that they had not been at their best Play had been errror shrewn and they had been drawn into selecting the wrong option far too many times.
Whatever the Dronfield Coaching Team had said to the players during the break in play had an immediate effect and in the second half the team played more of the type of rugby that they have shown this season Tries came at regular intervals and some of the flair shown was of a very high standard Andrew Hodgson with two tries. Ben Martin, Joe Farrell Jack Longden and a third from Reika Ahmid showed how pleasurable it has been for their supporters to watch them this season. There were examples of superb well timed passess , angled runs , tactical kicking and fine support play.
With Jake Steade successful with seven conversions the visitors now led 59-7 It must be said that Paviors although soundly beaten did not give up and they deserved the final score of the game when in the last play of the game they scored a converted try after an accurate kick through .
The game therefore finished 59-14 with Dronfield gaining maximum points from the game and therefore remaining league leadersNext week they travel down to the Birmingham area to play at Old Saltleans . They must hope that they can start that game in the manner that they played the second half against Paviors.
