Gallery: OA’s beat the weather and Coventry at Woollams

In a game with two distinct parts: before the storm and after the storm, Old Albanian edged both to beat Coventry at Woollams on Saturday.

Coventry attacked from the off in a game which came to be dominated by defence. A’s found themselves driven into their own 22 where they lost a scrum against the head. Luke Myring opened the visitors account with a straightforward penalty five minutes in and the hosts spent ten minutes coming to terms with ferocious attack.

Daniel Wright broke through and shifted the ball to Cliff Hodgson overlapping on the right for Myring to convert brilliantly from the touchline.

A’s woke up in the second quarter and Billy Johnson’s forwards drove a mystified Coventry pack fully thirty metres for their first try. Lawrence Rayner converted and levelled the scores with a penalty on the half hour mark but Myring restored Coventry’s lead with one of his own.

Just before the break Brett McNamee was driven over after another expertly crafted driving maul and Rayner’s conversion gave Albanians a 17-13 half time lead.

A rash of yellow cards marred the third quarter; yet even when reduced to thirteen men OAs managed titanic defence and a moment of magic when Olly Marchon escaped down the left wing from halfway.

Mr O’Grady took the players from the field just before a storm of biblical proportions assailed the area and on the restart ten minutes later A’s redoubled their defensive efforts.

Tactically and positionally the hosts now had the upper hand and Rayner sealed matters with a penalty.