Upton created another bit of history for the second successive league Saturday. Following on from their biggest league win they have now achieved their first league victory on Warwickshire soil. It was a cold, overcast but dry day with firm ground conditions. Upton started with young starlet Mike Dodge at No 10 making his first team debut.

Upton played uphill during the first half and it took a while for them to get the journey out of the system and to get into the rhythm and psyche of a Warwickshire referee and after 10mins Coventry Welsh worked the ball back from a ruck, passed it on the outside centre who cut a good angle and ran in from 15 metres to score an unconverted try in the corner.

Upton's response was immediate and they kept on driving the ball forward in the Welsh half. After 15 mins Cov. Welsh found they could hold on no longer in a legal manner and Mike Dodge opened his and Upton's account with a converted penalty from 35 metres.

Upton realised that the best method of attack with the players they had on the field was to move the ball around and move the Welsh's pack about the park. With a number of quick breaks up field and chip kicks Welsh were kept on their back foot and were fortune with a number of bounces going their way. The law of averages meant it was only a matter time before the bounce went Upton's way and on 35mins Alex Pimlow gathered the ball 40 metres out and shimmed his way pass four covering defenders to score and an unconverted try in the corner.

The first half finished with Cov. Welsh being successful with a penalty kick.

Upton restarted with the slope in their favour and it was obvious that Dodge was considered to be a danger and he was singled out for some 'special treatment' from the 'late arriving' Welsh front row but he had the perfect answers with the way he got the line moving, with chip kicks and clearance kicks. Upton regained the lead on 50mins when Pimlow chased a chip downfield and caught the defence napping as he gathered the ball and sprinted in to score under the posts and Dodge converted.

Although there were no more scores Upton kept the pressure on Cov. Welsh with numerous forward drives, they controlled the lineout and were a constant threat in the backs. So at the half way mark of the league season Upton are in second place and we hope that progress is maintained after the New Year and there is now good competition for selection.

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