MINEHEAD Barbarians finally secured their first win of the season with a much-improved performance against Nailsea and Backwell at the Tom Stewart Field last Saturday.

Choosing to kick off down the pitch, they started strongly with Nailsea losing the ball in the opening tackle, and showed their intentions by attacking hard, using offloads to keep the momentum of the game positive.

The reliable and dominant Minehead scrum put Nailsea under immediate pressure with a big shunt, resulting in them clearing the ball down the pitch with few other options.

A good catch by winger Fred Bushell gave Minehead time to get back on side and reorganise, and quick hands in the back line saw veteran Chris Jackson break through the defence to release Ryan Nunn up the pitch.

Great support by Chris James paid off when captain Nunn offloaded off the floor, having been tackled by the fullback, enabling James to secure his first try under the posts. The conversion was made by Kyle Lewis.

Nailsea responded quickly, attacking at every opportunity, but a committed Minehead organised themselves well and kept the visitors at bay.

They kept their heads, listening to the referee, and their patience paid off and were able to clear their lines and relieve the pressure.

With the pitch conditions wet and heavy, discipline started to slip from both sides and Nailsea were penalised and one of their players was sent to the bin for repeated infringements.

Ahead 7-0, the Barbarians got straight back to the cause in the second half, working hard in attack with the pack trying to set the pace of the game, but their efforts were in vain as a loose kick allowedd the visitors to offload into space and score in the top corner. The conversion attempt was missed, leaving Minehead with narrow 7-5 advantage.

Knowing they had their best chance this season of securing a victory, the Barbarians brought on some fresh legs in Munson and Payne and upped the tempo to defend another wave of attacks from the Bristol side on their own try line, holding them up over the line.

Nailsea began to tire with 15 minutes to go and could not withstand the pressure of Minehead’s front row, with another player being sent to the bin, giving Minehead some well-earned breathing space.

Now on the front foot, repeated infringements gave them penalty after penalty, and fast thinking by Joe Barrett gained them ten metres when he took a quick tap and headed upfield into the 22.

Kyle Lewis stepped up to take a shot at the posts and calmly slotted the ball to complete a 10-5 win.

The game wasn’t the most attractive, but it reflected the grit and determination of the young Minehead squad to grind out an important win, and they will look to build on the result in their derby away to Taunton II tomorrow (Saturday).

Man of the match was Kyle Lewis, who stepped up and took control to play a big part in the game.

Minehead Barbarians: David Swann, Joe Barrett, Kyle Roberts, Matt Lynch, Greg Richards, Harry Simms, Luke Gould, Richard Henson, Josh Parker, Craig Sutherland, Fred Bushel, Chris Jackson, Ryan Nunn, Chris James, Kyle Lewis, Ryan Dellow, Charlie Payne, Charlie Munson.