Maidstone III 45 -5 Cranbrook II

Tries: McKellar, Williams, Thurgood, Thompson, Massey 2, Bates
Cons: Hogarth 5

Maidstone III made it nine wins out of nine for the season with a dominant performance against Cranbrook II, which produced seven tries for the home side.

The foundations for the win were laid by the Maidstone pack, who once again dominated the set piece, winning numerous scrums against the head and constantly disrupting the opposition lineout.

Maidstone opened the scoring with their first real attack when the backs out-manoeuvred the Cranbrook defence from a set play. After a good catch and drive from just outside the 22, the ball was moved wide and full back Greg Thompson entered the line to create an overlap. He timed his pass to leave wing Ben McKellar with a clear run to the whitewash. Hogarth’s kick from the right touchline missed to leave Maidstone with an early five point lead.

While the opening score showed that Maidstone had the beating of the Cranbrook backs, the next two tries showed they could also out-muscle the forwards. After winning a penalty on half-way, Hogarth found touch in the visitor’s 22. Massey won clean ball in the lineout to set up a well organised drive and the forwards powered over the line with Adam Williams doing the honours - once he realised where he was- to double the advantage. Hogarth slotted the conversion to make it 12-0.

The next try was almost identical, except this one came from a lineout on the left touchline. Again Massey took clean ball and again the pack drove towards the line. This time, the Cranbrook forwards made it more difficult, bringing the maul down on the line but prop Mark Thurgood powered over to make it 17-0.

Cranbrook, who had fancied their chances before kick off having brought a youthful and in form side to the mote, were left reeling by the score and, after a rallying speech by their captain under the sticks, came back determined to give a better account of themselves.

The next ten minutes was played out in the Maidstone half but, with their set piece misfiring, Cranbrook were unable to put the home side under any concerted pressure. Maidstone then hit the visitors with a sucker punch, with the backs once again demonstrating their pace. A scrum to Maidstone on the ten metre line gave the backs more clean ball and Thomson once again entered the line to great effect, taking a miss pass from Dane Smith to out strip the defence and score a great individual try in the right corner. Hogarth then rubbed salt into the wounds with a magnificent conversion to make it 24-0.

With half time fast approaching, the Maidstone defence gifted the visitors a soft try. The Cranbrook No. 8 took advantage of the Maidstone defence going to sleep at a ruck on half way to make a break down the right touchline, brushing off some weak tackling to score an unconverted try.

While the try might have given the visitors some hope of launching a second half comeback, it was to prove their only score of the afternoon. In fact, they would rarely find themselves in the Maidstone 22 for the remainder of the match.

Despite dominating possession, a combination of spirited Cranbrook defence and final passes going astray meant that Maidstone were unable to put the visitors to the sword.

The set piece was proving Maidstone’s most potent weapon and when they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, Laing had no hesitation in opting for the scrum. On several occasions this season, the Maidstone pack had denied themselves push over tries with a lack of control at the back, but this time they made no mistake and Massey touched down for his first of the game. Hogarth converted to make it 31-5.

Ten minutes passed before the home side added to the lead. When Maidstone were awarded another penalty in the Cranbrook half, Hogarth found touch on the 22 and another catch and drive was imminent. While the Cranbrook forwards knew what was coming, there was nothing they could do about it. Inevitably the ball went to Massey and again the Maidstone forwards set off towards the Cranbrook line. After a fantastic twenty yard drive, which Cranrbook could neither stop nor haul down, the Maidstone pack crashed over the line with Massey at the bottom of the pile to touch down for his second of the game. Hogarth added his fourth conversion of the match to make it 38-5 with ten minutes to go.

Maidstone continued to press for more tries, putting width on the game to stretch the defence but as before, the final pass was lacking much to the frustration of the outside backs. The final try came when another promising move seemed to have broken down when a poor pass to Bates stopped him in his tracks. However, he cut back in from the right wing and was directed through a gaping whole in the Cranbrook defence by Simon Wright to score under the posts. Hogarth converted what proved to be the final points of the afternoon.

Final score 45-5.

Laing (Capt), Gray, Thurgood, Maytum (S Wright 40), Maddaford, Murphy, Williams, Massey, Baxter, Hogarth, Smith, Mattison, McKellar, Bates, Thompson (Moore 60)