After the Staffs Cup win over Walsall last week it was a return to league rugby action against Dudley who along with Burton were relegated from National 3 Midlands last year so a tough encounter was expected against a side that we have good contests over the years. This fixture last year saw Dudley gaining their first win in 22 games but on the return fixture to Peel Croft the win was Burton's so the stakes were high for this game. With Burton winning 4 out 5 games and Dudley posting less wins than losses and with one draw, Burton's expectations were high to come away with the points.

Dudley kicked off to Burton on the first wet and grey day of the season and it was which side would adapt to the conditions the best. Immediately at the ensuing Burton scrum gave a way a penalty which DK kicked for touch. A penalty for offside gave DK a chance at 3 points at goal which was missed but 1 minute later hands in the ruck gave DK another chance at goal duly converted 5 minutes - DK 3 Burton 0 There followed a good passage of play by Burton with Jack Neal and Joe Gazzard prominent took the play to DK gaining a penalty and a line on the DK22. Again a good drive form the line out with ball passing swiftly along the back however was undone by lack of support for Dewi Williams who was penalised for holding on in the tackle.

There followed a period of play where neither side could find any real rhythm of fluidity with play littered by errors and lack of accuracy by both sides with all the action mainly played out in the middle of the park. There was a need for both teams to develop the phases more and build some pressure.
At a Burton scrum in their own 22 Burton were pushed back but somehow it was kicked through picked by Harry Titley who fed Eddie Nicholls who made a great run up to the DK 22 but ran out of support and the opportunity lost. Two thirds into the game Burton seemed to getting more into the game and were putting some mini phases together however not quite with that telling cut or go forward. Burton continued to press but it was DK who were making more in roads into the Burton half but it was becoming a stalemate at this time with suggestion from the supporters "are we going to see another score today?"

Towards the dying minutes of the first half a DK scrum and win took DK up to the Burton 22 where Billy Peach relieved the pressure to the Burton 10 metre line, DK throw. Burton won the line out against the head but failed to secure the loose ball and DK won it back spinning it across the line where a try saving tackle by Dewi Williams stopped the move resulting in a Burton scrum. Burton's scrum was now coming under increased pressure resulted in a turnover scrum which won by Dudley, fed across the line only to be held by great tackling on the far left wing by Nick Oxley. This did not relieve the pressure however and the ball recycled through the hands resulted in the DK no7 running unopposed near the posts duly converted. To further compound the impact of the score Nick Oxley was sin binned for the earlier tackle made. The whistle went for the first half, where Burton had not really got into the game with any fluidity or momentum where both sides in fact were struggling to get any upper hand and where the mistakes and the referees whistle inhibited any flowing rugby to develop. Half time was needed for Burton to regroup to change things around in the second half.

Half time 40 mins Dudley 10 Burton 0

Start of the second half Burton kicked off and immediately allowed the momentum to swing back to DK by the kick not going 10 metres. From the scrum DK picked up and went through a number of phases and Burton's defence was stretched at this point running out of numbers allowing DK to score again 5 minutes into the second half 48 mins Dudley 17 Burton 0

Burton came back from this score and from a line out and a great driving maul into the DK 22 fed along the line to Dewi Williams held up 5 metres from the DK line, recycled fed across to Jack Brooks who put a neat pass for Dave Archer to score left of the upright. Archer converted his own score 55 mins Dudley 17 Burton 7

For the next 10 minutes however Dudley were pressurising Burton in their own 22 and up to the 5 metre line with a number of penalties and scrums which they could not convert to points and where Burtons defence held strong at each wave of attack which in the end Burton secured a penalty and Archer cleared the lines up to the 10 metre line. A break out by Jack Brooks finding Eddie Nicholls in space took play up to the DK 10 metre line but the move petered out with just not enough support to keep the move going. From a DK scrum and kick thorough Burton failed to deal with the kick well in their own 22 resulting in a DK turnover, then passed along the line for DK to score on the corner as gaps on the wide side opened up. The kick not converted now it meant the score was 60 mins Dudley 22 Burton 7

This score seemed to galvanise Burton into action with a line out from a penalty in the corner near the DK line. Short throw to ever lively Jack Neal at the front who dived over the line only to be denied by the referee who said it was help up over the line. From another line out debutant Jeri Oldfield took control of the ball and made some good ground into the DK 22 and for the ensuing ruck it was fed quickly across the backs but with a clear 2 vs 1 overlap the ball was dropped and the chance lost.
Burton were upping the pressure and trying to make inroads into the DK defensive line which was holding up better than in recent weeks; however the ascendancy in the scrum DK held was making life difficult for Burton to capitalise on territory gained.
From a penalty in mid field for offside Dave Archer kicked to the DK 22.
Line out was won but DK given a penalty for offside with time running out Burton needed to get control. At the DK lineout an over throw by DK was snatched by Jeri Oldfield who made some good yardage before popping to Eddie Nicholls who scored near to the posts duly converted by Dave Archer.

Final Score Dudley 22 Burton 14

After the great start to the season this was a tough day at the office not to come away with any points and demonstrates that this league will be an ask and picking points up on the road will be crucial in Burtons aim to be in the promotion race at the end of the season.
The side today had a number of changes and with the new full debutants of Josh Shaw and Jeri Oldfield putting up their hands to start the signs are optimistic for Burton going forward, however there is a lot of learning from this game for the coaches and management to work on with the two week break because of the World Cup Final next week.
Next match is Burton vs Hereford at Peel Croft on the 7th November 2.15pm kick off.

By Kevin Wrathall