Luton edge to Newport win
Midway burst sees Bedfordshire side home
Newport 22 Luton 30
Luton managed to put a poor first half performance behind them as they just about managed to claim a bonus point win at Newport on Saturday.
And their 30-22 victory put them right back into the National Three Midlands title race after leaders Ampthill were deducted 10 points for incorrectly postponing a game earlier in the season.
Luton's Director of Rugby, Denis Ormesher, said: "Our first half performance was poor.
"Newport looked the better side to start with and certainly looked as if they wanted the win more than we did.
"We upped our game well in the second half, but with the game won, and the bonus point in the bag, we then made some poor decisions in the last 15 minutes and nearly allowed Newport to get back in the game.
"We need to be much more streetwise and learn how to control a game when it is won."
Luton took an early lead when a good break by flanker Mike Weston was finished off by Matt Allen.
Newport, though, struck back when they caught the Luton defence napping and peeled around the front of a lineout for Omar Suleiman to score in the corner.
The home side began to run everything at Luton with centres Tomasi Tanumi and Rob Clymer always looking dangerous.
It was clear that Newport were determined to avenge the November defeat to Luton, while the Bedfordshire side looked half asleep for the most of the first half.
Luton flanker Nick Stevens was yellow carded for offside, but that couldn't stop the visitors from scoring again.
The Bedfordshire side won a lineout and fly-half Chris Meehan went over for a try under the posts, full-back Mark Kohler converting.
Newport, though, struck back when from a penalty on the halfway line.
Fly-half James Curgenven took a quick tap and waltzed through the entire Luton team without a finger being laid on him, with Clymer converting to level the score at 12-12.
But Luton regained the lead just before the break when Kohler slotted home a good penalty.
The visitors played some better rugby at the start of the second half after a hard half time team talk, but it was Newport who were first to score when Clymer levelled the scores with a penalty five minutes in.
Two minutes later Curgenven was lucky to get away with a only yellow card when he dump-tackled scrum-half Mark Smith, who had to leave the pitch with a back injury, with Kohler kicking the penalty.
Luton raised the tempo and scored a good driven try from Weston.
Newport began to infringe more and more in an attempt to stop the visitors, but Luton let them off the hook with a succession of missed penalties.
Winger Sam Egerton was the next to visit the sin bin for a trip and the Beds team stretched their lead with another try.
Flanker Nick Stevens, now playing at scrum-half, went over and Kohler converted to make it 30-15 ahead with 15 minutes left.
Some poor decision-making handed the hosts field position and a charged down kick allowed Newport scrum-half Ben Warrilow to score under the posts, Clymer adding the extras.
And Newport were unlucky not to get the losing bonus point when they broke away with the last play of the game only to knock on with the line at their mercy.
This weekend Luton host Peterborough.
Luton: 1 Mike Posthumus, 2 Andy Lake, 3 Joe Lynch, 4 Pat Nelly, 5 Laurence Alden, 6 Mike Weston, 7 Nick Stevens, 8 Matt Berryman, 9 Mark Smith, 10 Chris Meehan, 11 Rob Wasterfall, 12 Matt Allen (C), 13 Lee Anker, 14 Scott Hills, 15 Mark Kohler. Substitutes: Michael Ormesher, Tony Begovich, John Robinson.
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 10 C
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