NOTTINGHAM 23, SEDGLEY PARK 16: A continuing inability to stamp their mark on a game in the third quarter, together with an inspired change of strip at half-time by the Nottingham coaching staff, condemned Park to defeat number 11, the only crumb of comfort being a losing bonus point.

Leading 9-3 at the interval, the Tigers had good reason to believe they could go on to claim a win, but a lack of pace on the flanks denied them the chance to threaten the home line, and the Green and Whites stepped up a couple of gears and managed to hold on to the ball at critical times to run in two tries.

Indeed, had Nottingham been able to eradicate the unforced handling errors that had dogged them throughout the opening 40 minutes, they could well have had a healthy lead at the break.

As it was the boot of Phil Jones punished their indiscretions and gave the Tigers hope.

In the wet, muddy conditions it was always going to be the side with soft hands that would benefit, with knock-ons dictating the scoreboard.

Despite some good, early drives from the Sedgley pack it was Nottingham on eight minutes who should have taken the lead.

Fielding an attempted Jones touch-finder, Nottingham right wing Dave Jackson collected the ball and set up a move that had try written all over it, fortunately for Park the final pass was fumbled and they were let off.

Three minutes later, the Sedgley pack pounced on another home knock-on and when the initial drive was stopped and turned into a ruck, Sedgley were awarded a penalty on the home 22, and Jones popped the kick over to give the visitors a 0-3 lead.

The Sedgley pack were in belligerent mood and pressured their opponents relentlessly and were rewarded on 18 minutes with another penalty, but Jones was off-target.

However, a third on 27 minutes was gratefully accepted and the Tigers lead was extended to six points.

Within minutes Nottingham should have scored a try, but another knock-on brought the move to a grinding halt. Instead they had to make do with a three-pointer from Neil Stenhouse on the half-hour mark.

On 36 minutes, good driving from the Sedgley pack moved the ball down as far as the home 22, where the under-pressure home forwards infringed at a ruck and Jones kick restored the six point margin.

Another unforced knock-on deprived Nottingham of yet another try, and the look of anguish on the faces of former coach Simon Beatham and his successor, Glen Delaney, watching the game from the press box, was there for all to see, as was the appreciation of the work being done by the Sedgley pack.

Seconds before the half-time whistle, Nottingham second row Dan Moore was yellow-carded for foul play, but Sedgley could not make the extra man count either side of half-time.

Beatham and Delaney, no doubt in an effort to improve communication after the first-half mud had began to turn the green and white hooped home shirts into indistinguishable muddied rags, sent out their charges in fresh blue away shirts for the second half, and it certainly improved the players ability to see one another.

On 50 minutes, after a burst down the touchline, Jackson turned the ball inside, but again the intended receiver knocked-on.

But Moore's return from the sin-bin then galvanised the home pack, and from a penalty, a catch-and-drive from the resulting five-metre lineout drove the ball over the Tigers line, and former Orrell flanker Dave Wilks got the touchdown. Stenhouses conversion then put Nottingham in the lead for the first time at 10-9.

Two Stenhouse penalties on 60 and 66 minutes increased Nottingham's lead to 16-9, as the dreaded third quarter blues began to hit the Tigers hard.

Any thoughts of a win were shattered with five minutes to go, when substitute Josh Kay made a great diagonal run to rip through the Tigers defence and touch down, with Stenhouse adding the extras to make it 23-9.

This season's pattern of play dictates that having suffered a game-losing third quarter knock-back, the Tigers round the scoring off with a late try, and that is just what they did.

Replacement Jon Feeley, despite suffering from a nagging groin injury, got an opportunity to show his worth in the penultimate minute, when he pounced on a kick over the top before chasing his own grubber kick down the right touchline to score, with Jones' conversion guaranteeing Park a losing bonus point that could prove vital in the battle to avoid relegation.

SEDGLEY: Wilkinson, Peters, Woof, De Jager (Hall 57), Hopkinson (Feeley 63), Jones, J. Albinson, Evans (Du Plessis 74), Oxley (Keys 66), Thomas (Gazzola 74), Rowe, Lund, Senior (Skurr 63), Ponton, Fourie (Anania 74).

PETER COLLINS