Rugby Old Centralians 10 Thornbury 14 AN irrepressible performance from the pack saw Thornbury start the New Year with their first away league win of the season.

The forwards paved the way for a well-deserved win over Old Centralians in a tough and frequently rough game.

Kicks from Simon Weaver and Dai Matthews, plus a try from Mike Sander, saw Thorns home despite tense closing stages when the Gloucester side threatened the visitors' line. The result sees Thornbury move above Old Centralians into ninth place in the table.

Thornbury took the game to Old Centralians from the kick-off. Matthews opened the scoring with a penalty after ten minutes, then from the restart, he powered through the centre on a 40 metre run which ended when Old Centralians infringed, but the penalty attempt failed.

Old Centralians kicked a penalty to tie the scores and the home pack drove over the line for a converted try to ease 10-3 ahead against the run of play.

Incensed by conceding the score and losing two players with injury, Thornbury returned to the attack. Sander crashed over for an unconverted try after good play from Matthews, Wayne Underwood and Ollie Fleming.

Weaver narrowly missed a dropped goal attempt seconds into the second half. Thornbury pressurised but wrong options and dogged home defence kept them out. Midway through the second half Weaver kicked a penalty to put Thorns a point ahead.

The home pack continued to frustrate, frequently illegally. Paul Lambert, who had a fine game, twice had his scrum cap ripped off in close exchanges. With four minutes of normal time remaining Weaver kicked his second penalty to extend the lead.

The final few minutes became unbearably tense. Lambert left the field with cramp but the seven-man scrum held three scrums and a lineout close to the line and defended heroically until the final whistle for a vital victory.