The Lions Go off The Rails

The home side scored the game’s opening try but trailed 33-7 at the break after Park ran in five tries, four of which were converted.
A better second-half display brought more respectability to the score but head coach Wiggins admitted the damage had been done by then.
He added: “We scored first but then we gave away an interception try and just seemed to go off the rails after that.
“We tackled too high which is disappointing because we don’t normally have that kind of
problem.
“We regrouped and to their credit the boys left nothing out on the pitch but I’ve no complaints about the result. It was a good game but Charlton Park were better than us and their No.15 was a particularly good player.”
Deal/Bettes were forced into an early reshuffle when loosehead prop Eoin McGrath was forced off with an ankle injury.
Hooker Matt Curd moved to prop with Nick Tweed coming on at
No.2 and they claimed the game’s first points when Luke Armstrong scored a try which stand-in fly-half Matt Halpin
converted.
One of Park’s five first-half scores was a penalty try – awarded for pulling down in the lineout – but Deal/Bettes responded well in the second half with No.8 Joe Hinkins scoring a pushover try, converted by Juan Bautista Vila
Skipper Adam Michael grabbed the home side’s third try after some slick passing and Hinkins ensured a losing bonus point when he went over for his second after a quick penalty.
Deal/Bettes resume their RFU Intermediate Cup campaign on Saturday when they travel to the capital to face London Cornish who sit top of London 2 South West after eight wins from
eight.
Wiggins expects a tough afternoon. He said: “We’ll probably have to play eight times better than we did at Old Alleynians (where they won 13-3 in the last round) because London Cornish are eight times
better.”