Dronfield Girls fall just short in cup final despite showing great resolve

Their opponents in the final, held at Long Eaton’s ground, were Leicestershire based side Loughborough who = like Dronfield - had gone through the competition so far with a 100% record. They had beaten Newark in their semi-final match.

From the initial kick-off it was apparent that Loughborough were a well drilled side who had played together over many seasons. They were quick to the breakdown and having a heavier pack had the advantage in the scrum. Within the first few minutes Dronfield found themselves behind 5-0 as Loughborough gained possession, moved the ball wide and with space available, their speedy winger was able to sprint in for an early unconverted try.

This was not the start that Dronfield had hoped for. After initially being deflated they rallied and began to gain more of the ball. Unfortunately, despite making good ground through a series of penetrating runs, they were unable to find support for the final pass close to the Loughborough try-line.

When Loughborough scored a second try and they were successful with the conversion, the lead was 12-0. Credit must go to the Dronfield girls who showed great determination and matched Loughborough for the rest of the first half

It was important that Dronfield scored first after the restart and they tackled with intensity and supported each other in attacks They richly deserved to eventually get on the score-sheet with a Poppy S unconverted try, This score gave Dronfield the impetus they needed and for the next phases of play they retained possession but Loughborough’s solid defence limited opportunities to attack . Against the run of play, from a turnover, Loughborough scored once more. It was now 17-5

Dronfield stuck to the task in hand and provided more support for each other but found gaps difficult to find. After a series of surges close to Loughborough’s line Emily B scored Dronfield second try. They were now only one score behind their opponents as the game entered the final plays in the match

Unfortunately, it was Loughborough who scored two late tries to give them a 27-10 victory, The eventual scored flattered them and did not reflect the effort put in by the Dronfield girls. They were obviously disappointed at losing in the final but can take great pride in their efforts. They finished this Regional Conference Competition as the highest placed Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire team, No one can doubt the concerted efforts they made. They had unfortunately come up against a bigger side with far more matches played together as a team.