It was honours even at the memorial ground in a largely scrappy and unmemorable counties 3 Tribute Gloucestershire North encounter between the 2^nd & 5^th placed rivals.

With the Cheltenham based side traveling to Gloucester with no fewer than 11 of their 1^st XV choices unavailable the error strewn match never lived up to its billing but it was the home side that started brighter looking the sharper at line out time and driving over to open the scores with a converted try wide out after 10 minutes.

Pats ill-discipline presented an opportunity for Jordan Walker’s siege gun boot to take three points from a penalty just inside Pats half.

The visitors responded with a try from a tap and go penalty with Ollie French held up short but showing good strength he was back on his feet to plunge over from short range to make it 10-5 Pats.

Sadly Joe Hart was forced to leave the field with a knee injury which removed much needed experience and it was the inexperienced young visitor’s ill-discipline once again that gave Walker another opportunity to claim three point from a long range penalty.

A sequence of pick and drives produced a sustained Pats attack and constant infringement left the referee no alternative other than to award a penalty try but Pats scrappy line out was once again penalised 35 meters out leaving Walker’s reliable boot to take the three points.

Powerful Aaron Shakeshaft charged over from 20 meters for a converted try giving the Cheltenham side the lead for the first time but it was Walker again from halfway who levelled the score with another penalty goal.

As the game drew to an end Pats penalty count continued to grow and Walker almost secured a win for the Gloucester side with a narrowly missed long range penalty from an offside infringement. Scoring three tries to one Pats will no doubt reflect on their penalty count when faced with an experienced goal kicker whilst welcoming opportunity to rest their heavily injury depleted squad before entertaining Minchinhampton at Everest Road on the 26^th

Widden Old Boys 19 – Old Patesians 19

Norman Bell