Saturday    13th January 2007
Maidstone 34 London Irish 6

Maidstone did the double on visitors London Irish on Saturday,convincingly scoring 6 tries inflicting their second highest loss on them this season.This was the first visit of the amateur Irish side since the heady days before league rugby started when a London Irish side packed with internationals played in the old John player cup.For the record Irish won in front of the biggest crowd seen at the mote!Times have changed.

Saturday was Maidstone’s turn for the spoils and back to winning ways and with it keeping them firmly up the table one place at 6th.
First up was Mitchell who took the ‘blindside’ route to score wide out. Then following a scrum against the head,scrum half  Heads made ground and then partner fly half Mitchell timed his pass perfectly for big Mark Ryan to use his weight to round the defence to the posts.Irish were penalised again but Maidstone chose the scrum option and the Heads Mitchell axis again found this time ‘evergreen’full back Ian Howson  taking the crash ball .He was tackled short of the line but his height took him over.A further scrum very near the touch line saw Dave Heads take the blind side option yet again and using  his size  squeezed in at the corner.22 nil at half time should have produced  many more points but London Irish had other ideas.They regrouped and ran everything in sight being rewarded with 2 penalties If they could have got more possession they would certainly have scored more but Maidstone’s scrum denied them any quality ball.

Maidstone continued to press the irish line with their superior pack of forwards who pushed the Irish back over their own line.Nr 8 Ben Court got the touch down.

A further ‘power play’ Maidstone scrum rumbled to the visitors line for Court again to get the touch down.with a further 10 minutes to go Maidstone seemed to take their ‘feet off the gas’as this was the last score.

Next Sunday it’s kent cup action against high flying Deal and Betteshanger (2pm)

League action resumes away Jan 27th at fellow mid tablers Sevenoaks  (2.15pm)

Scorers Tries Court(2),Mitchell,Ryan,Howson,Heads,
Conversations Mitchell(2)

Team:Howson,D.Smith,J Smith,Arnold(capt),Ryan, Mitchell,Heads,Hollister,Jeffrey  Rogers, Bacon, Johnston,Taylor,Ridgean,Court
Replacements;Farbrace,Davis,Aukett