Match Report

Maidstone 5 v Dover 28   

by Trevor Langley

London 2 South

Home at The Mote, Saturday 29 November, 2008, Kick Off –2.15pm

Dover came to the Mote for the first time in over 25 year and went away with the spoils, demonstrating superior teamwork over the 80 minutes. While the 28-5 margin was flattering, they showed how to turn advantage into points at every opportunity. Maidstone showed their naiveté on more than one occasion, while Dover hustled the home side to their advantage.

Maidstone’s scrum was anchored by the restored Martin Maytum and veteran Mark Thurgood, stepping up from the Mustangs. They provided the bedrock of a stable platform in the tight and lifting power for the line out that secured a good proportion of ball from both avenues throughout the game.

After the rain of the last few days and a persistent drizzle throughout, the conditions underfoot were difficult from the off, with the expectation of a greasy ball leading to handling errors. And so it proved, but from the first moments of the game, it was clear that Dover covered the ground more swiftly with ball in-hand and played together more as a unit than the home team. Rather than seek physical contact with their opposite number as a first resort, they chose to move the ball quickly to open space thereby reducing the chance of spilling the ball.

Dover soon established themselves in the Maidstone half with some astute kicking from their stand-off but the early exchanges were roughly even as Maidstone defended effectively. On the quarter hour, Maidstone were penalised for holding on after a tackle, having won their own scrum on the 22, and, from the resultant penalty, Dover captain, Beaumont put the visitors in the lead with a kick that squeaked over.

Dover continued to dominate territory and in an effort to break their stranglehold, Francis tried a cheeky chip over the opposition that backfired, allowing his opposite number to pick up the charge-down and stroll over the try line under the posts, making the conversion a formality.

As so often this year, Maidstone had aggravated their position by taking the more difficult option. But as on many previous occasions, they fought back admirably and, five minutes later from a penalty on their own 22, Neil Graves took a quick tap and burst through the Dover defence before offloading to Iles who carried on the move deep into the opposition half. With options inside and out, he timed his pass to perfection to Ed Laurent for the scrum half to make the line half way out. Although Francis’ conversion attempt sailed wide of the left hand post, Maidstone were back in the game and, slowly, they began to exert pressure on the opposition moving the ball through forwards and backs to establish territorial parity in the last part of the half.

When the Dover restart after half-time was recalled for a scrum, the advantage should have been to Maidstone but, after winning their put in, scrum half, Laurent allowed his opposite number to harass him off the ball to set up centre, Beaumont, for a run to the Maidstone try line.  

In the best move of the game, ten minutes later, Dover killed any lingering hopes of a Maidstone victory when, from a line out on the left, they moved the ball right, with the blind side winger joining their line, to their open side wing and back inside for a try by blind-side flanker, Collins. Maidstone’s problems were compounded shortly thereafter when Andy Bacon was yellow-carded for killing the ball in the ruck.

While another piece of Maidstone history was made on the hour, when Mark Graves came off the bench to join his brother, Neil, in the centre, Dover continued to look the more cohesive unit. Maidstone continued to press through the set pieces with Dover’s scrum moving backwards on more than one occasion, but with ball in hand, the opposition looked far superior.

After a concerted period of attack by Maidstone, a handling error allowed Dover turnover ball, which they used to good effect, swiftly moving the ball to the Maidstone line where the desperate cover conceded a penalty in front of the posts for Beaumont to extend the lead. With full-time beckoning, a chip ahead to the Maidstone line allowed Beaumont to show his pace and agility, rising above the Maidstone defence to get the touch down.

Team

Martin Maytum; Nick East; Mark Thurgood: Andy Bacon; Steve Matthews: Matt Iles (Sam Rogers 45 mins); Tom Castle; Nick Sargent (Fin Davis 52 mins): Ed Laurent; Piers Francis: Gareth Hill; Neil Graves; Martin Arnold (Mark Graves 60 mins); Mark Ryan: Tom Searles