Canterbury have yet to record a win away from home this season and there was little sign of that sorry sequence being ended at Lydney.

A dire first half put the skids under their chances and although things improved marginally later in the game the rally was not not skilful enough to rescue them.

The spark that saw off fifth placed Chinnor the previous week had died and the city club’s inability to master someof the important basics gave a home side with far greater appetite a head start.

This result plunges Canterbury back close to the relegation zone and unless they find consistency and play to their potential that is where they may be condemned to stay.

Distress signs were flagged alarmingly at the start when no one took responsibilty to secure the kick-off and Lydney were immediately on the front foot. They missd an early try when a smart kick was knocked on but went ahead after five minutes with a penalty goal from Tony Wicks.

It was the prelude to a profitable day with the boot for the full back who took full advantage of the city side’s technical failings as he accounted for fourteen of Lydney’s points.

The only time Canterbury were on level terms in the whole match was through a Tom Best penalty goal after 15 minutes but on the occasions they did get into attacking positons a flurry of errors strangled them.

Lydney’s speed in defence was a problem the Canterbury backs never really solved and even that usually reliable source of tries, the well rehearsed driving maul, often ended poorly, Add to that a looseness at the rucks and failure to look after their own ball and trouble was bound to follow.

In stark contrast, the home side used possession efficiently and it brought them two first half tries. First they worked an overlap for centre Josh Innes and a needlesly conceded penalty gave them prime position for the second.

Lock Dave Bennett claimed the score from a catch and drive and in the last act of the half Canterbury’s indiscipline under pressure presented Wicks with a second penalty goal to add to his conversion of the Innes try.

An 18-3 deficit needed some overturning but the city side, no doubt with harsh half time words in their ears, came out in a better frame of mind.

In a small way they shaded the second half and had energy and territory been been translated to the score board they might have turned things round.

Things looked up when a Best penalty goal chipped three points off the Lydney lead and then, after a succesion of penalties, Bennett was sin binned and Canterbury finally found a try. Flanker Ryan Ward burrowed over from a catch and drive and although Best missed the conversion the city club now at least had a losing bonus point in their pocket.

But even that had disappeared by the end. Despite some probing runs from Martyn Beaumont and the customary challenging work of Number Eight George Micans the error count, the penalties and sound home defence were too big a handicap.

In a low key finish there was a yellow card for Mason Rosvall for a doubtful mid-air challenge, Wicks hit a good long range penalty and rubbed salt in all those self-inflicted wounds by adding his fourth with a simple kick a minute from time.

 

Canterbury: M.Beaumont, C.Horey, A. Moss T.Best (repl A.Veale), M.Rosvall, G.Hilton (repl O.Best), G.Kay, R.Mcleod (repl S.Kenny), N.Wakefield (repl S.Rogers), A.Wake-Smith, R.Cadman, R.Corr (repl C.Hinkins), T.Sherson, R.Ward, G,.Micans