Littlemore set out on a brisk Saturday morning to face Didcot in a highly anticipated away clash. With league points up for grabs, both teams arrived bolstered by full benches. Under an overcast sky with a mild wind, the stage was set for a proper contest.
From the whistle, Littlemore focused on a “defence-first” strategy to prevent Didcot from gaining an early foothold. However, a combination of fumbled balls and early penalties allowed Didcot to draw first blood. With a spring in their step, the hosts moved the ball effectively down the line, finding gaps in the Littlemore defence to cross for a few tries within the opening 20 minutes.
Littlemore responded with a vengeance. Finding their power in the set piece, they began pushing the scrum and reclaiming momentum. After a hard-fought battle for possession, Devalius Thomas crashed over for a try, with Shaun Eadle adding the conversion.
Confidence grew, but the physical toll of the match began to show. A string of injuries forced early substitutions, which disrupted the team’s rhythm and made it difficult to maintain a consistent defensive line.
Discipline became an issue for the hosts as Didcot was shown a yellow card for high tackles. Littlemore wasted no time exploiting the man advantage, with Jason Chambers powering through for another try. While our lineouts remained successful, the execution wasn’t quite fast enough to release the backs. Following a few more handling errors and injury stoppages, the whistle blew for halftime.
The second half proved just as punishing. Littlemore found themselves drawn into Didcot’s offensive rhythm, leaving space for the hosts to execute long passes to their clinical wingers. As the scoreboard ticked over, frustration began to set in, and more points were conceded.
Ultimately, it wasn’t Littlemore’s day. A lack of team synergy and a slight delay in recycling through the phases made the difference. Didcot proved exactly why they hold second place in the league, while Littlemore maintains a solid 3rd-place standing.
It was a tough shift at the office, but with chins up and eyes on the future, the squad is already regrouping. We go again as we prepare to travel to Swindon.
