Williams stars as Mansfield see off bottom club

The Blue and Whites kicked off with the wind blowing over their left shoulders.

Coalville gathered the kick and cleared their lines. But the ball held up short of the home side’s 22, the clearing kick drifted agonisingly into touch on the full, giving Coalville an attacking lineout.

Captain Phil Donaldson stole the ball and the forwards drove the ball infield, but a knock-on returned possession to Coalville.

With the scrum won, they drove towards the Mansfield line and quick thinking from the visiting scrum half, who was to prove a thorn in Mansfield’s side all afternoon, saw him scamper through the gap to score. The conversion successful and it was7-0 to the visitors with three minutes played.

A line out resulted from the restart and Mansfield were punished for holding on, allowing Coalville to clear their lines only to then infringe.

Jonathan Williams put the ball into the corner and it was Coalville’s turn to steal and clear their lines.

Flanker Joe Symcox emerged from the lineout and made ground into the Coalville half where this time the visitors were penalised for preventing fair release, Williams gratefully accepting the three points on offer.

Coalville carried the ball into Mansfield territory, the home side now incurring the displeasure of the official and a relatively straight forward kick was missed.

Mansfield restarted long, Joe Symcox stole the ball and quickly recycled to the backs, Williams and Ash Wills both making ground before Coalville were caught offside in midfield and another three points were accepted.

Twenty minutes played and Mansfield were now one point in arrears.

The re-start failed to make the required 10m, and Alan Symcox made ground off the scrum.

Coalville this time came in from the side and Williams gave the home side the lead for the first time.

Alan Symcox returned the re-start to halfway and another Mansfield penalty at the breakdown, saw Williams put the ball into touch just inside the opposition 22.

The line out was tidied up by Alan Symcox and Coalville offended again.

The metronomic boot of Jonno Williams was now fully functioning and the fly half mastered the conditions to add another three points to make it 12-7 to Mansfield with 15 minutes of the first half remaining.

Donaldson again took the line-out, the ball was quickly recycled and the Symcox brothers combined, taking the ball to the opposition 22, only to knock-on in contact.

Coalville cleared downfield and Mansfield were awarded a penalty, this time for players in front of the kicker. But the kick, a repeat of the last one, this time drifted agonisingly right of the posts.

Alan Symcox again claimed the re-start, good support play from Donaldson and Williams putting wing Jonathan Colley through.

This time it was Mansfield who were penalised at the breakdown for holding on.

Coalville cleared their lines only to lose the resultant line out.

The Symcox brothers again combined, the Coalville clearance failing to find touch, and Joe Symcox was halted just short of the try line.

However, brother Alan picked up and crashed over for the try and Williams adds the extras to make the score 19-7 to the home side.

Another scrappy re-start saw Coalville kick through, the situation recovered by Jonno Williams covering back.

A series of errors from both sides eventually resulted in a scrum for the visitors on the Mansfield 22.

Once again the visiting scrum half spotted the gap, taking play 10m short of the Mansfield line. What happened next was generously referred to as a ‘lapse in concentration’ by the watching faithful as Coalville picked up from the breakdown to stroll in untouched, a converted try making the half-time score 19-14.

Four minutes into the second period Mansfield had a scrum on their own 22, Alan Symcox picked up from the base, and brother Joe, supporting from the blind side, linked with Jonno Williams and Ash Wills to cross halfway.

Wills was eventually stopped deep in Coalville territory but found matchday sponsors Mansfield Ladies’ man of the match Jonno Williams in support, who converted his own try to extend the lead to 26-14.

The re-start was claimed by Donaldson, who was tackled in the air and the Coalville lock was given 10 minutes.

To their credit Coaville responded well, not conceding further scores while reduced to 14.

Home coach Steve Shaw introduced all three substitutes, which notably saw Adam Shaw return to scrum half after injury.

As Coalville were restored to their full complement, they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, the ball blown off the tee, resulting in the kick being missed.

At the mid-point in the half Coalville ran the ball from deep, the ball was transferred along the line and they scored in the corner. The conversion was missed, but at 26-19 it was game on.

The next passage of play saw the visitors penalised for delaying the scrum put in.

Quick thinking from Adam Shaw released Williams and he gathered his own kick over the advancing defence to score his second try, crowning a performance which deservedly earned him his man of the match award.

With Mansfield now in the ascendency, another run from deep five minutes from time saw Adam Shaw supporting to claim the bonus point try.

A scrum from the re-start saw Joe Symcox break, Williams and Wills again supporting, eventually releasing Shaw for his second score to make the final score 45-19.