Market Rasen & Louth reach cup semi-final
Market Rasen & Louth reached the semi-finals of the Papa Johns Cup with a 32-29 win over hosts Nottingham Moderns on Saturday.
Rasen, who finished third in the Midlands Counties One, had received a bye into the quarter-finals and although they’d been comfortable winners in the league against Moderns, this occasion would be a different story.
Both sides were suffering with injuries and availability issues but it was Rasen who went in front when Bob Timmins took off down the wing and passed inside to Ben Young to score.
A second try from captain Spen Holvey extended the lead to 14-0 with both tries converted.
Moderns replied with a try of their own and soon added another after a Rasen mistake, but Young soon went over for Rasen’s third try, not converted.
Moderns, however, levelled the scores at 19-19 at the break with another converted try.
The hosts then went in front for the first time with a try early in the second-half but after an initial period of struggle, Young went over for his third try, again unconverted, the score now 24-24.
However, Moderns soon went in under the posts for another try, albeit not converted, before Jake Preyer bundled over Rasen’s fifth try for a score of 29-29.
Moderns then saw a penalty strike the upright and Rasen capitalised as a scrum penalty saw Holvey step up and send his kick between the posts for a three-pointn lead that would seal the win.
They face a tough test against Bourne in the semi-final on Saturday.