With referee, Gareth Masters, allowing both sides some liberal decisions in the atrocious conditions the game had very little excitement or flow to warm the hearts of watching supporters, who had to watch a dour battle of poor handling and tactics while getting soaked in the process. But at the end of the day Burton returned home with the win that they wanted and can now look forward to a week off, due to Solihull’s withdrawal from the league, while other teams battle it out for league points. As the old adage goes a win is a win and that is the only crumb of consolation that the Burton squad can take away from this very, much below par performance.

Camp Hill kicked-off with Burton playing up the slope and it was soon evident that the hosts were well up for the contest and fully intent on continuing their recent improvement in form as they stormed after the kick. But Josh Cartwright took the ball and set off a Burton surge that saw the forwards make thirty metres before Dan Smith was bundled into touch. Jon Edwards stole the lineout only for Burton to be penalised and allow Camp to clear the danger with a huge clearance upfield to set up camp in the Burton half. Another penalty against Burton for being in front of the back foot saw the hosts nearly take the lead as Briggs’s goal attempt just shaved the upright.

More pressure from Camp saw John Philliskirk catch a kick ahead and return with interest, but his kick, like so many others by Burton players throughout the match, failed to find touch. Fortunately Danny Smith was on hand to charge down the clearance attempt and his presence got Burton a penalty just in from touch on the home twenty-two. But like the host’s early attempt Tom Bartram was off target with his shot at goal. This signalled a raw patch of Burton pressure as drives by Edwards, Cartwright, Joe Carpenter and Darryl Banton kept play inside the home twenty-two. But, after five minutes pressure, the opposition cleared the danger and surge back into the Burton half following a huge kick. Simon Spencer got back to drop on the ball and a kick took play back into the opposition half.

A penalty for Burton saw Carpenter, Banton and Craig Dutton take the ball forward before Banton was stopped and Burton were awarded a penalty. During this attack Carpenter took a knock and an old wound was reopened and he had to leave the field with a split lip to be replaced by Dominic Taylor. From the ensuing lineout Cartwright took the ball and supported by Charl Neethling and Rob Wakelin the Burton pack set off on a rolling maul that took play forward. Banton released the ball to Ian Gilmour who put through a little kick for Bartram and Lawrence Betty to chase, but the opposition just got to the ball first to concede a dropout as they carried it over the line. From the dropout Camp Hill charged forward as Burton struggled to control the slippy ball and only a great tackle by Philliskirk stopped a certain try as the home winger Rob Manu raced through. The resolve of the Burton defence was being sorely tested as the opposition’s tactics of pick and drive battered away towards the Burton line, but a knock-on allowed Dutton to pick-up and feed Banton who relieved the pressure with a kick to halfway. Another kick upfield by Camp Hill saw Burton fumble the ball and so another period of pressure inside the Burton twenty-two started. Burton were eventually adjudged offside and this time Briggs made no mistake as his kick split the upright to give his side a 3-0 lead after twenty-five minutes play.

The restart saw Philliskirk gather and take play into home territory with another bustling run. He linked with Lewis Brooks, who made ground before passing back inside to Spencer and Bartram. These pair linked with Smith who jinked his way to within five metres of the opposition line before forced into touch. Then Banton and Taylor got to within two metres of the line to give Burton a scrum. Dutton picked-up and charged forward supported by the rest of the pack and drove over the line for Danny Clarke to emerge from the bottom of the melee with the ball to claim the try. Unfortunately, Bartram’s kick missed the target and for the rest of the half Burton dropped too many balls and conceded far too many penalties to give them the chance to increase the two-point lead they took into the break.

Now playing with the slope Burton kicked-off for the second half and although now having the advantage of the slope struggled to gain any advantage from it as time and again they missed touch or kicked poorly as they tried to play the game in the opposition half. This allowed the hosts to run the ball back and make inroads into the Burton defence as they attacked with a much more positive approach than that shown by Burton. However, a kick ahead by Danny Smith at last got Burton into home territory and Cam Hill gave away a penalty for not releasing directly in front of their posts on the twenty-two. Tom Bartram made no mistake with the kick to increase his sides lead to 8-3.

But as so often happens from the restart Burton were immediately penalised for offside and Camp Hill’s Briggs slotted home his attempt to reduce Burton lead back to just two-points at 8-6. With the rain continuing to fall and Burton struggling to get into opposition territory the next thirty minutes had Burton supporters chewing their nails as Camp Hill continually pressured the Burton defence. Burton replaced Gilmour with John Leason in a move to introduce Leason’s boot to Burton’s repertoire and help get the ball deep into opposition territory. But Burton players struggled to achieve this objective with poor directed kicks or just no kicks resulting in Burton spending more time in their own half rather than making life difficult for the opposition by putting the ball downfield. Fortunately Burton determination and resolve meant the defence held firm with Edwards, Taylor, Neethling and Dutton tackling like demons to keep out the continuing attacks from the opposition. So Burton trudged off the muddy pitch with two points and their objectives achieved but not really in the fashion that they would have wanted, but any win is a good result and keeps the pressure on the chasing clubs.