Clifton’s ninth successive win came as a result of their strong resolve and inner confidence to turn a game around after trailing by twelve points just before half time.

However after thirty minutes they held the upper hand in spite of a strong Luctonian defence. The early dominance of the visitor’s pack was successfully thwarted with scrum half Mitch Spencer orchestrating swift changes of direction in attack combined with good ball retention and spreading the attack lines across the pitch .

As the game progressed Clifton removed the advantage their opponents held at the beginning of the encounter with momentum shifting in their favour. Persistent attacking incursions into the well drilled Luctonian defence and superior fitness eventually brought results and wore down the visitors. Centre Will Owen spearheaded attacks with the home pack increasingly gaining the upper hand in line outs and scrums. The pack gave one of the best showings of the season with prop Ricky Cano awarded the Clifton Sausage Man of the Match award.

Early on, a scrum penalty gave Lucs an attacking position to eventually send hooker Ben Luck over. With their pack causing problems and gaining territory space was found for full back Josh Watkins to score the second try, and Jack Park converting.

Clifton began to counter attack with powerful bursts to test the defence and change the course of the game. Before the interval flanker Jay Evans and winger Zak Hamid created a try for the back row man. Immediately after the re-start a poor Lucs clearance kick gifted possession away and saw the game’s best moment when a fifty metre move across the pitch featured interplay between Hamid and co-winger Kilbane to send centre Matty Smith into the corner.

A tiring defence coughed up two penalties kicked by Ollie Milner to see Clifton home for a deserved victory and consolidate second pace in the league A hard won scrum penalty denied the visitors an opportunity to come back in the final play.

Next weekend Clifton travel to third place Cinderford in what is likely to be a tense but enthralling encounter.

Story: Roger Opie
Photo: Ian Clark (Matty Smith scoring for Clifton to open the second half)