Sedgefield made the trip to Jarrovians and were edged out in a narrow 18–15 defeat, a contest that showed both the squad’s attacking quality and defensive character.

The visitors started brightly, controlling the first 30 minutes with confident attacking phases. Despite Jarrovians defending well, Sedgefield’s pressure eventually paid off when Ethan Hadfield (shirt 13, sponsored by TBC) calmly slotted a penalty to get the scoreboard moving. The breakthrough try soon followed as Ross Nicholls (shirt 4, sponsored by Aztec Stone Self Storage) powered over the line. Hadfield added the extras with a well-struck conversion to extend the lead.

The second half brought its challenges. Two consecutive yellow cards – one for Michael Winn and one for Kyle Sutcliffe (who had only just come on and duly earned himself Dick of the Day) – reduced Sedgefield to 13 men. Against the odds, the lads dug in and showed real defensive steel, keeping Jarrovians scoreless during that spell.

Once back to full numbers, Sedgefield reignited their attack, with Jack Wiffen (shirt 7, sponsored by Rebecca Menzies – Howe Hill Stables) crossing the line for another well-taken try. Jarrovians, however, rallied late and used their pace out wide to score the decisive try, sealing an 18–15 win despite Sedgefield’s determined fightback.

A huge shout goes to Man of the Match Charlie Johnson (shirt 6, sponsored by Rural Finance), whose tireless work rate and commitment at the breakdown set the standard across the park.

Although the result didn’t fall in Sedgefield’s favour, the squad can take plenty of positives — particularly the grit shown when down to 13 men — into the coming weeks.

A massive thank you, as always, to our brilliant sponsors for their ongoing support: