Coventry RFC 25 Ampthill 19

Coventry held on in a tense finish to end Ampthill’s ten-match unbeaten run in National League on an afternoon packed with emotion at the Butts Park Arena.

Led out by Matt Price on his 150th appearance and club stalwart Dave Addleton, who is leaving after 26 years as a player and coach, Cov turned on the style in their final home game of the season to lead 20-7 and 25-12 before withstanding a late charge by the visitors.

Matt Jones opened the scoring for Cov with a penalty after three minutes following an excellent break from midfield launched by George Tresidder, and he converted when Caolan Ryan finished off a decisive move behind a scrum in the right corner.

Ampthill hit back with a Matt Collins try from close range, converted by Elliot Clements-Hill, but Cov threatened every time going forward and Dom Lespierre jinked his way through for their second try on 19 minutes, Jones adding the conversion.

Jones increased Cov’s lead to 20-7 on 32 minutes with a penalty from 35 metres to complete the first-half scoring.

An unconverted Will Evans try on 53 minutes closed the gap before Cov lost Chad Thorne to a yellow card, but Ampthill were unable to make any further impression before the home side returned to numerical strength.