St Nicholas OB 18 Mill Hill 21

Middlesex Cup third round

Mill Hill, again fortunate in being paired with a team from a lower division, can consider themselves lucky to figure in the fourth round draw.

After starting well and going ahead with an early opportunist try by Trevor Cooper, Mill Hill conceded a penalty, which was the only kick at goal that St Nicholas succeeded with.

Mill Hill replied with a penalty, and controlled the game until the dying minutes of the first half, when they allowed the home side to score in the corner.

Having made a couple of changes at half-time, and with the wind at their backs, Mill Hill faced a rejuvenated oppositon.

Belying their lowly status, the Old Boys outscored Mill Hill by two tries to one. But Mill Hill also snatched the decisive penalty through Gosling.

For Mill Hill, Coltrini and Cracknell were outstanding, and the kicking of Hywel Gosling proved decisive.

The heroic St Nicks team will have nightmares about all their missed kicks at goal.

MILL HILL: Scard, Atkinson, Newbury, Cooper, Farge-Bennett, Gosling, Lee, Bourke, Cracknell, Brown, Coltrini, French, Taylor, Mulley, Wildman.

November 28, 2001 20:00