After a mix-up with travel arrangements Burton did not arrive at Scunthorpe until well after two o’clock and with a very limited warm-up could have been excused for a slow start. But this was not to be as Burton tore into the opposition and for the first twenty minutes showed them how to play as they scored three tries and raced into a 19-6 lead. Unfortunately the next sixty were a completely different story with Burton capitulating to seal their relegation fate as their hosts ran in six tries to score forty-four points without reply to finish the game very comfortable 50-19 victors.

Dave Archer gave Burton the perfect start as his kick-off was very nearly gathered by Jon Crisp, but with forwards in support Burton continued to press forward and kept Scunthorpe penned in their own twenty-two. A reliving kick by the opposition took play to halfway before an opposition second row was yellow carded for a punch to give Burton a chance to put the ball back into the opposition half. From the lineout the Burton pack drove forward to be given a scrum on the home twenty-two. A very, solid and powerful push by Burton saw Joel Booth pick-up from the base and surge towards the line, supported by Jon Edwards and Jim Litchfield. Good work by Dan Clarke and Dave Fitchett made further ground before Booth crashed towards the line, but he was unable to ground the ball and Burton got a five-metre scrum. From another Burton dominated scrum Jon Evans fed Luke Peach, who chipped over the advancing defence to gather his own kick before slipping the ball neatly to Booth who crashed over for a try. Archer’s conversion narrowly missed and so after eight minutes Burton led 0-5.

From the restart Scunthorpe lost a second player to the sin bin when their flanker took out Will Brooks in the air as he caught the kick-off and Burton kicked the resulting penalty back into the home twenty-two. Ben Grocott took the lineout and was driven forward by his pack before Peach, Fitchett and Brooks took the ball further only for Brooks to be held up just short of the line. Two good scrums by Burton had the home pack reeling and under so much pressure that they conceded a penalty. Burton opted for a scrum and surged forward again before Evans fed Ian Gilmour. He timed his pass to perfection to the on-rushing Peach who raced towards the line until seeing his way blocked he turned and fed Craig Dutton, who, with his feet moving like a reborn Nureyev, twisted and turned before diving over the line for a try. Archer made no mistake with the conversion and Burton now led 0-12 after just fourteen minutes.

But, immediately, a simply penalty was given away by Burton in front of their posts to allow the opposition to get on the board at 3-12. Despite this set back Burton continued to control the game and good runs by Crisp, Lawrence Betty and Fitchett continued to take play to Scunthorpe. Burton then gave another penalty away and the home kicker again reduced the deficit to 6-12. Dutton gathered the restart to charge forward and with Booth at his shoulder the pair made ground to the home twenty-two. From the resulting maul Evans broke blind and cheekily dummied his way over to touch down under the posts. Archer’s conversion sailed high over the bar and Burton now led 6-19 with just twenty minutes played.

But faster than storm clouds gather over the Caribbean in the hurricane season the game turned upside down and Burton’s control disappeared into oblivion as the home side began to dominate every phase of the game. In the remaining twenty minutes of the first half, helped by Burton’s defensive inaptitude, the home side ran in three tries, two converted, and added a penalty goal to go into the break 28-19 ahead.

If Burton supporters had hoped for a reversal of the tide in the second half then they were in for more disappointment as Scunthorpe just continued to run riot. The decidedly bedraggled and well below par Burton team didn’t look as though they had the heart for the game never mind winning it. The Burton team suddenly became a shadow of its earlier self and either just could not or didn’t want to compete with their opposition and allowed tackles to be missed and balls lost as Scunthorpe took complete control. Scunthorpe didn’t take look in this second period to exploit Burton’s frailties and soon a string of missed tackles saw their flyhalf run round Burton’s non-existent defence to score a converted try under the posts. The only chance Burton had was a penalty from Archer from the halfway line that just sailed outside the uprights. Not even the introduction of youngsters Rob Beddard, Joe Gazzard and Jake Manning for the aching and ageing legs of Rob Wakelin, Jon Edwards and Craig Dutton could help Burton’s cause. As Scunthorpe continued to take full advantage of Burton’s sluggishness to run in two further tries, one converted, and a penalty to take their tally to fifty points and comprehensively seal Burton’s fate.

Although relegation is now certain for Burton let’s hope that their last game next week against Malvern on Peel Croft sees them put on a show that is worthy of the spirit and determination they have at times demonstrated this season. Their loyal supporters deserve better than another inexcusable exhibition that they had to watch at Scunthorpe this Saturday and surely the players will want to end the season with style and a victory.