Stowmarket hold champions as promotion remains in the balance

A WIN at home to Wymondham next week will guarantee Stowmarket a second successive promotion.

Stowmarket conspired to put the home team in the driving seat, Holt converting a penalty on eight minutes,

Stowmarket stormed back and scored when Toby Kemp crossed the line, following a delicate kick ahead by Garrard, but Tom Searles missed the conversion.

Stowmarket then dropped their guard and allowed the home team, unbeaten at home for 18 months, to take a quick lineout and score in the corner within two minutes of the restart.

With the score now standing at 8-5 in favour of the home team, the next score would be important. Unfortunately for the visitors, it was Holt who grabbed a converted try.

Soon after, Holt were also successful with another penalty kick.

The hosts reduced the deficit to a mere six points when, from a five metre scrum following the dismissal of the Holt No 8 to the sin-bin for ten minutes, Peter Baird crossed the line close enough to the posts for Searles to add the necessary points.

After little more than five minutes of the second half, Stowmarket took a deserved lead when fly half Baird scored another try out wide, Searles converting.

With bonus points now important to Stowmarket, they would attempt to score a fourth try, but not before Holt managed to do so first with a converted effort.

Stowmarket had to score another try but Searles’ penalty closed the gap.

Then, in the seventh minute of added time, Searles emerged as the Stowmarket savour when he somehow managed to convert a penalty from distance to bring the scores level.