Mercury Sport
North Petherton through to Somerset Cup semi's after 18-17 win
8:00am Wednesday 15th February 2012
NORTH Petherton moved in to the semi finals of the Somerset cup by the smallest of margins after beating their near neighbours Burnham in a game which went down to last kick of the game, writes Simon Freeman.
Burnham immediately took the game to their visitors and moved the ball with purpose and direction to run over the line and take a 7-0 lead.
The score shocked Petherton but they gradually worked their way up field forcing the home side to concede a penalty on the 22, which Harry Roberts converted.
In the 30th minute Burnham scored their second try after an excellent break down the middle and they showed their ability at the breakdown by moving the ball right to left at speed for another well deserved try to take a 12-3 lead.
The home side smelt blood and they continued to pound the Pethy line but in the final minute of the first half Jervis Manupenu put a 50 yard penalty in to Burnhams 22, and a clean catch by James Cox drive saw Simon Ranson power over the line. Roberts converted to pull the scores back to 12-10.
Petherton took the lead early in the second half through a Roberts penalty but this spurred Burnham in to life and again they again began to dominate the breakdown and move the ball away quicker than Pethy could organise their defence.
Pete Kingston forced Burnham to give away a penalty and Manupenu delivered a perfect kick to the corner and in front of their own supporters which Pethy wisely chose to implement their most effective attacking option and drive Arron Gibbs over the line to take a 12-18 lead.
The final eight minutes saw Burnham bombard the Pethy line but the visitors showed a gritty defence even after they were reduced to fourteen men.
With the last play of the game Burnham knew a converted try was essential, they sucked in the Pethy defence to score in front of the home side supporters but the final kick was struck well and only missed its target by two feet to give Petherton the 17-18 win. Man of the match was Carl Brown.