RUGBY: Late drama as St Neots miss out on honours double following Hunts & Peterborough Cup final defeat

St Neots missed out on an honours double last Saturday – despite delivering a courageous cup final display.

Title-winning Saints were beaten 31-26 by Peterborough 2nds in the Hunts & Peterborough Cup as they were unable to add another piece of silverware to their Midlands Division Four East (South) crown.

Although defeated in the showpiece clash staged at Thorney, they were far from disgraced – and they could well have snatched victory but for a last-gasp tackle during late drama.

Aiden Jordan was stopped by a fingertip tackle from the last Peterborough defender as he powered towards the line to touch down for a try that would have levelled the scores and led to a conversion attempt for Lewis Hall, who boasted a 100 per-cent success rate with the boot.

Saints conceded the opening try before Hall sent over two penalties to put them ahead.

Another Peterborough infringement led to Saints’ first try as a quick Dan Hill tap started the move that led to Joe Woodgate touching down. That was swiftly followed by a score from skipper Ross Hubbard who used every inch of his big frame to reach for the line following a ruck.

Both tries were converted by Hall as Saints opened up a 20-5 lead at the break, but the Peterborough second string came back strongly in the second period.

They helped themselves to four unanswered tries to take command before two more Hall penalties pulled Saints to within five points.

And that’s the way it stayed despite the late drama as Jordan’s surge towards the try line was halted.