Loughborough battered as Ford goes for three
Loughborougn S….24
O Redcliffians……..45
THOMAS Ford's heroic hat-trick saw Loughborough Students outmuscled by Old Redcliffians.
It was Loughborough who got off to the strong start with early breaks from fullback Tom Quinlan and winger Sami Hamid setting up two tries in the opening seven minutes for opposite wide man Karl Warner and outside centre Tom Riman.
The hosts continued their flurry with Thomas Taylor's excellent chip over the defensive line allowing loosehead prop of all people, Cam Miell, to cross the whitewash in the corner.
However the 17-0 lead was short lived, as despite being a man down following a sin bin, Old Reds fought back with a driving maul score from hooker Thomas Ford and a cool finish from Finn Murphy, before the students were reduced to 14-men themselves.
Ford added another try to his tally minutes later, before Dominic Sprague scored in the final play of the half to put the visitors ahead 24-17 at the break.
Scores from scrumhalf Andrew Butler and blindside flanker Jalen Curry following the break extended Old Reds lead to an unassailable one, leaving Loughborough's catchand-drive try from Seb Smith futile before his opposition number Ford completed his hattrick to put the game to bed and claim the match ball.
REFEREE: Benjamin Wood ATTENDANCE: 202
Star man
Thomas Ford – Old Redcliffians
TEAMS
LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS: Quinlan, Warner, Riman, Howells, Hamid, Taylor, Bryan, Miell, Smith, Crane, Godsell, Peacock, Nkonge, Peart Smith, Bausor Replacements: Reeds, Smyth, Lee, Briers, Walsh OLD REDCLIFFIANS: Kelly, Murphy, Cook, Sprague, Allan, Groves, Butler, Brabham, Ford, Rogers, Doyle, Fear, Curry, Valentino, Thurston Replacements: McMullin, O'Donnell, Stratton, Luxford, Murphy
