Firstly apologies for not streaming match text, Wiston doesn't have the best 3G service in the World! As such the following report is coming from memory. All I can assure you is that the score and try scorers are accurate, pretty confident about the sequence and times. No photos taken either, so if you have some please post them.

Secondly a massive thanks primarily to Tim Laker for presenting a great pitch for this season. Its never looked so good and is a result of literally hundreds hours of his time spent at Wiston mowing and working the pitch. THANK YOU!

Thirdly, couple of birthdays, one belated and one today. Peter Hoare is older and thankfully found is boots yesterday, "Galloping Galahs!" and then theres young Will Farthing who will be looking to play his first game for the Norfolk at Barns Green next week. He has promised a mercurial performance. I'm thinking more Freddy than Greek Gods....

Fourthly, just joking...

Match Report:

This was not only the first home game but oddly the first time since we formed as a club that Crawley had ever come to us for a match. It was a great shame that they apparently left their front row behind and so asked us to start the match using uncontested scrums. As is required by the county laws we had to accept this and were given a 10 match point advantage.
The game got under way at a blistering pace on what was a warm day. Crawley pressed hard for the first 10 and then Norfolk Arms gained some control and marched them back. One of the themes for the match was going to be Crawley's lack of verbal discipline and constant cheating at the ruck, it was as a result of the latter that Norfolk were given their first penalty which Tim Laker dutifully kicked giving us a 3-0 lead - Dave Trower was replaced by Matt Carver, DT will admit himself that he's lost some of that Achilles like pace of last season, and with uncontested scrums he'd best enjoy a cogir on the touchline! - This lead was short lived as Crawley scored a try under our posts from a tap penalty and kicked the conversion. 3-7. This stirred the Norfolk and as a result we started playing a game that Crawley would struggle to handle. We really were the dominant force and finally we broke the tryline with Dan crashing over from about 10 yards out. Tim kicked the conversion too and we were back in the lead 10-7.

Half time was then upon us. We made a few substitutions.

The second half funnily enough followed the first and as luck would have it we carried on the same vein too... Mooey scored a great try and time kicked the conversion. 17-7. Crawley answered back with another well worked try of their own, which they too converted. 17-14.
More ill discipline from Crawley, notably one of their players commenting on how much the referee looked like James Hunt, it certainly sounded that way as all i heard was "HUNT" from the touchline, anyway Tim Laker kicked the 3 points giving us a 20-14 lead. With 20 minutes to go Crawley hit back with another try from yet another tap penalty! they duly scored the conversion too edging them into a slight lead 20-21 in their favour.
Thankfully the Norfolk were much fitter and calmer than the visitors. The last 20 minutes was arguably the best 20 of the season, with every single player putting in MOTM performances, not least of all Jim (The NOSE) Manville who barged his way through to score a great "Team Try" with about 10 minutes to go. Tim kicked the conversion giving us a 27-21 advantage. Norfolk from here on went looking for more points but were kept at bay by some gritty defence from Crawley.
Final score was reported as 37-21 in our favour. 27 scored and 10 awarded to us for Crawley claiming the uncontested scrum?

All in all a great game that might put us top of the table...

We are away at Barns Green next week. I am waiting confirmation of pitch location as their President mailed last night to say they are homeless. BIG ISSUE?