On a crisp winter’s afternoon Burton ‘A’ XV played hosts to Stoke on Peel Croft and after eighty minutes of heart warming entertainment for supporters finished the game worthy victors by 45-7.

Burton started play full of confidence and an early penalty offence by the visitors saw Will Peach put the ball between the posts to give the hosts a 3-0 lead. This was soon followed by a typically unselfish try when Jon Edwards started a rolling maul from a lineout some thirty metres out. He held the ball at the back of the maul for the whole distance until at the last possible moment he slipped it to Damon Varney to crash over and get the score and increase Burton’s lead to 8-0.

From the restart Burton conceded a lineout and poor control by the jumper saw the ball snatched up by a Stoke flanker who raced twenty metres out pacing the defence to score a try that was then converted. But this was to be the last of the opposition points as Burton piled on the pressure and ran in nearly forty more points.

Another penalty by Peach soon followed and then a neat cross kick by the same player sailed into the arms of Karl English to trot over the line for a try. Then Varney got his second try of the day as he took an inside pass off Peach to race forward and touchdown under the posts. Peach added the extra points and Burton led 23-7 at the break.

With Stoke being short of players and Burton having a squad of twenty the second half saw Jon Edwards volunteer to play in Stoke colours rather than occupying a cold seat on the Burton bench. Burton added more tries when first Alistair Eastwood raced round his man to score out wide, then Lee English cleverly chipped ahead to win the race for the touchdown and Darryl Banton scooped the conversion over the bar for the extra points.

Burton now led by 35-7 and more points followed when Ed Henry received an inside pass from Peach to crash over the line for a try. But Stoke began to come more into the game as Burton took their feet off the gas and it took some great defence by Chris Atchison, Jamie Parker, Gavin Worth and Alec Reeve to keep them from adding to their score.

A great forward movement involving the whole Burton pack saw Tom Murphy score the final try of the day to give Burton a thoroughly deserved 45-7 victory over their county rivals.