Ledbury book place in Regional 2 North Shield final

Yahoo

12-05-2025

LEDBURY booked their place in this weekend's Regional 2 North Shield final following an impressive 48-14 victory against Paviors
Taking on an unknown opponent Ledbury struck first when Ed Bennion cleaned up a messy throw in before the next long throw, taken cleanly by Curtis Williams and slipped blindside to Ben Mason before Jack Hughes came scything in, Charlie Barber-Starkey in support and able to open the scoring with a Hughes conversion (7-0) on 16 minutes.
Paviors retaliated at once and soon their pressure paid off with Ben Mason perhaps dubiously yellowed and conceding a penalty try to make it (7-7) on 21 minutes.
Despite being a man down Ledbury conjured a retort with a classic run down the line through the hands of John Parker, George Wallin, Josh Bishop until Josh Hill grounded the second to make it (14-7) on 26 minutes, Hughes again converting.
Paviors kept in touch with a deft chip through on halfway to make it (14-14) on the half hour mark.
Back to full strength and jostling once more it was Paviors who fell foul of the ref, conceding a penalty in front of the posts, enabling Hughes to make it (17-14) at half-time.
Ledbury were quicker out of the blocks and Paviors were down to 14 men following a yellow card.
Clean ball from the scrum eight metres out freed John Parker who slipped the ball to Barber-Starkey and he was in for his second, converted by Hughes, (24-14).
Ledbury upped their grip on the game when Ben Stevens rampaged through to score in minutes with another fine conversion from Jack Hughes (31-14).
Stevens then enabled Khayd Saxelby to off load to a speeding George Wallin for a sumptuous score on the diagonal (38-14), with Hughes adding the extras.
Fresh legs saw Jamie Rayfield in the thick of it, leaving two defenders in his wake before Charlie Pallett was in on the wing to make it (43-14).
Paviors received another yellow to their 10 but were pressing hard and forcing Ledbury to infringe.
Paviors then messed up a prime opportunistic throw deep in the Ledbury half leading to a mammoth of a long clearance from Hughes and Ben Mason galloped to seal it with a final try (48-14).
The final is against another unknown side, Winnington Park RFC, from Northwich, Cheshire. The match will be played on neutral ground at Doncaster next Sunday (May 18), kick-off 6pm.