Chesterfield Panthers delight band of fans with fine win

In an entertaining match, the opening 20 minutes were cagey, with both sides working hard but not creating chances.

However, the breakthrough came for Panthers when veteran prop Terry Titley crashed over from short range after a spell of sustained pressure, with Rich Keeling slotting the conversion.

Southwell hit back straight from the restart with an unconverted try, and for the next ten minutes, they had the lion’s share of possession.

The next score was going to be crucial, and Panthers got it as Jordan Grayson took a quick penalty, miving the ball through several pairs of hands for Nathan Newton to score in the corner and make it 12-5 by the interval.

Panthers made changes for the second half to improve both defensive organisation and attacking play. And they were rewarded with a spell of prolonged pressure that led to two tries in quick succession from Grayson and Ash Holland. The first conversion was missed by Liam Frith, but the second was successfully kicked by Mark Blair.

The Notitnghamshire outfit again responded well, testing the visitors’ defence for the next 15 minutes. But against the run of play, Panthers extended their advantage when Grayson scored his second try and Keeling converted.

Southwell did pull a try back just before the final whistle, but it was nothing more than a consolation that failed to mar a solid performance from Panthers, who showed an admirable team attitude.

The man-of-the-match honours were shared by old warhorse Titley and the ‘little big man’ Grayson, although impressive dosplays were also produced by Guy Basset, Greg Fritchley, whose training is paying off, pocket battleship Ged Dernley, Dec Wileman, who is improving with every game, youngster Alex Tustin and the dependable Col Baker.