Grove narrowly lost their Oxfordshire Cup quarter final 22-19 in a thrilling match with Oxford Brookes University on Sunday.
Brookes opened the scoring after two minutes when the ball was spun right and touched down in the corner. Grove then scored against the run of play when winger Harry Carr gathered a loose ball to sprint three quarters the length of the field to touch down between the posts.
Fly half Dave Maryon’s conversion giving Grove an early 7-5 lead. Despite a missed penalty, good work from forwards and backs powered prop steve Dixey over the line and Grove extended their lead to 12-5.
The hosts then opted to kick another penalty to touch but contrived to lose their own lineout and a good chance went begging. Grove continued to pressure the Brookes try line, and Guy Nicholl went over from a quick tap penalty for a try converted by Maryon to make it 19-5 to the home side after half an hour.
Brookes pulled three point back with a penalty but then lost a player to the sin bin and ended the half with 14 men. Both sides made a scrappy start to the second half, but Grove suffered a blow when Nicholl was shown a yellow ward for an illegal tackle.
Brookes scored their second try, which was converted to reduce the deficit to 19-15. Grove were then hit with another hammer blow when captain Ben Nicholl was forced from the field with a broken leg.
Brookes hit the upright with another penalty, only for Grove to lose another of their influential players, Harry Carr, to injury. Brookes scores the decisive winning try when the ball was punted long downfield and they won the chase to touch down behind the line, with the conversion giving them a three-point lead.
