CLACTON 16

KINGS CROSS STEELERS 32

Essex League Division One Shield

CLACTON’S playing season reached its nadir on Saturday, with the first team losing to the previously bottom-of-the-league side and their second XV, the Kestrels, shipping three figures in their game at Brightlingsea.

The match against the Kings Cross Steelers was their first in the new-style Essex Division One Shield.

After the 13 teams had all played each other once, the division has been split in two, with the top seven teams playing each other again, the bottom six doing likewise, and with the results of the first games being carried forward.

At the start of the day, the visitors were bottom of the embryonic division with just one win to their name but, after the result on Saturday, it is now the Seasiders who occupy that place.

Despite a late arrival, it was the Steelers who started in a more positive manner and they soon took the lead with an unconverted try.

A penalty from the restart enabled Elliott Shuttleworth’s trusty boot to get Clacton on the scoreboard, but a converted try and penalty meant the visitors were 15-3 in front after just over 20 minutes.

Clacton came back strongly, but couldn’t break the Steelers line and it was two long-range penalties from Shuttleworth that meant the teams turned round at 15-9.

Some feisty exchanges saw the home side having to play with 14 men for ten minutes, but there was no change to the scoreline.

However, as soon as the numbers were equal, another converted try extended the Steelers’ lead.

A quick tap-penalty from Jon Vine, plus Shuttleworth’s conversion, brought the difference back to one score, but a Steelers penalty increased the lead to nine at 25-16.

As things became more tense, the sides exchanged missed penalty opportunities, but it was the visitors who finished stronger and they scored their fourth try, and with it a bonus point, with the last play of the afternoon.

The final score was 32-16 and Clacton can have few complaints about the outcome.

They now have to try and haul themselves out of the bottom place in their remaining four games.

A disappointing result was made even worse when it was discovered that the second team had conceded 17 tries at Brightlingsea, losing 110-7 (see below).

The Colneside club have had something of a transformation after their relegation at the end of last season and certainly put the Kestrels to the sword.

The two Clacton sides had been expecting a week off, as both their scheduled opponents have re-arranged league fixtures following the bad weather a couple of weeks ago.

However, Clacton’s first team are now in Essex President’s Shield action against Billericay at Vista Road.

Kick-off is at 2pm.