Melksham CAT's 14 Sutton Benger 3  04/10/08              

Cooper Avon Tyres edged to a hard fought victory over league new boys Sutton Benger on Saturday with a 14-3 win. Sutton Benger again started well, Chris Crome converting an early penalty into three points for the away team after a fiery start from forwards Luke Parker and Dave Major. The lead lasted only a matter of minutes as CAT capitalised on some slack defending from Sutton Benger on the blind side to roll over for the first try of the game. Benger’s productivity started to wane as they strayed from their game plan and the scores remained the same for much of the game. Both sides had opportunities in the opponents 22; however a combination of weather induced errors, unforced errors and smart tackling kept the scores at 7-3. Mark Carter was the stand out player for Benger as they pushed for a winning score with Simon Drage again making a noticeable impact when introduced after the break. With many wasted opportunities just 5m from the CAT try line the home side seized victory with the very last play of the game, breaking away for a runaway try. Sutton Benger cannot be faulted on their efforts or fitness; however progress within the league will be determined by their ability to be more creative in attack and learning to implement basic attacking drills with precision.