Coventry 20 Richmond 17 By John Wilkinson.

Edge-of-the-seat finishes are the norm when these two meet, but even by earlier standards, Saturday’s finale at the Butts Park Arena was extraordinary.

Referee Shane Lewis had already found four minutes of added time when, with the scores tied, Coventry were awarded a penalty eight metres inside their own half – out of the range of usual kicker Cliffie Hodgson, but not Barry Davies and his howitzer left foot which sent the ball straight between the posts.

Advantage Cov, for the first time since the fifth minute, but not quite the final act as Cov failed to secure the restart and a hand on the floor gave Richmond a last chance with the watch now showing seven extra minutes.

Deja vue for the fans, who last season had seen Cov go in front deep in added time only to be pegged back to 20-20 by another late kick, but this time the outcome was different as Rob Kirby’s attempt, 30 metres out and five metres in from touch on the left, drifted on to the right post and dropped down the wrong side of the bar.

Callum MacBurnie plucked the ball off his toes, fed it to Davies, and the full-back raced across the in-goal area before belting it into touch as the final whistle went.

So, a double for Cov who had won at Richmond in September with a Hodgson penalty on the final whistle, and on a day when they didn’t reach the heights, one secureded by character and determination rather than guile.

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