GRIMSBY RUFC were unfortunate to come away without the victory when they went down 13-11 away at county rivals Lincoln.
The pitch was heavily waterlogged and almost unplayable in some places, but the Midlands 3 East (North) game went ahead.
Despite the conditions underfoot and with the torrential rain, both teams looked to move the ball around and play an open and entertaining game.
This meant at times the ball was spilt, and it was from a loose pass that the Lincoln centre hacked the ball through and grounded it, against the run of play, to score the home side's only try.
The Blues had earlier got the scoreboard ticking with two well-struck penalties from fly-half Brad Watson.
Grimsby's try came from the restart of the second half.
Centre Stuart Saunders sliced through the home defence and he slid in for the try after some ferocious running from the Blues pack. most notably by Mike Newman, Colin Matthews and Matt Pettiford.
The game was balanced on a knife-edge throughout and stout defence from both teams produced a low-scoring game.
Strong running from the Lincoln backs kept the Blues defence stretched – but the Grimsby scrummage, forward power and the wily old head of captain and scrum-half Ben Pharaoh continued to keep the home side on the back foot.
The final 20 minutes was bordering on a farce as the conditions meant players, spectators and the referee could not tell anyone apart.
With the seconds ticking away, number eight Sam Vickers made an incredible 60-yard run and got the Blues deep into the home sides twenty-two.
Then there came a moment of controversy. With the last play of the game, the referee awarded a relieving penalty to Lincoln.
The Blues players looked bemused as the infringing player was a home one, but the muddy conditions meant that identification was virtually impossible and the kick would have been makeable for Watson.
The Blues get their 2013 games up and running with the visit to Springfield Road of Nottingham Moderns on the January 5.
