Ampthill travelled to The Lady Bay for Round 3 of the Championship season looking to build on last weeks 31-29 win against Chinnor.
Early exchanges suggested that the Mob were carrying momentum as they dominated both territory and possession from the referees whistle and opened the scoring on two minutes. Scrum-half Declan Murphy caught the hosts defence napping, picking up from the ruck and going himself from 30m out to score right of the posts. Evan Mitchell added the extras and Ampthill lead 0 v 7
Nottingham took fifteen minutes to reduce the arrears after squandering several scoring opportunities. The hosts set piece was working well and set the platform for the Nottingham backs to combine and put Williams over. Conv missed 5 v 7
Nottingham were now dominating possession and testing the Ampthill defence, the Mob spending the majority of time in their own half. The hosted scored their second try just before half time – another penalty and line out defended by the Mob but the defence were sucked in as Nottingham reversed the play and took advantage of an overlap to score. A successful conversion gave them a 12 v 7 lead at half time.
Nottingham extended their lead three minutes after the restart, multiple phases of forward play in the visitors 22 before they burrowed over. 19 – 7
With just over a quarter of the game left Nottingham secured their bonus point, winning an Ampthill scrum on our 5m line, fly-half Arden put grubber kick through and Nottingham dotted down under the posts, 24- 7 with twenty-two to play.
Five minutes later Arden scored Nottingham 5th. A quick tap and go penalty putting him through a gap in the Mob defence. 31-7
Almost from the restart the hosts scored their sixth and final try – their backs combining and Williams sprinting through the Ampthill defence to dive over through the posts.
Josh Barton grabbed a consolation try in the 71st minute but by then the damage had been done. Final score 38 v 14
Following the game, Head Coach Paul Turner said “Despite starting really well and scoring first we couldn’t maintain any real field position to trouble Nottingham and put them under any pressure. They defended really well. We spoke at half time about our decision making and game control and we’ve come out for the second half and seem to have forgotten that. We’ve a lot to work on this week before we face Caldy at our place next Saturday.”
Ampthill play Caldy on The Olney Field on Sat 12th October at 2pm. Tickets and hospitality are available hereÂ