Maidstone IV's vs Anchorians III  

SATURDAY  SAW MAIDSTONE TAKE THE FIELD IN WINDY BUT DRY CONDITIONS,AND A NEW FACE TO THE LENGTHY LIST OF 4TH TEAM PLAYERS, OSCAR VAN WYCK. GUESTING FOR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HIS RETURN TO SOUTH AFRICA. ANOTHER “GUEST” WAS JON BROWN, WHO HAS BEEN PLAYING HIS RUGBY AT BATTERSEA IRONSIDES LATELY BUT WHO STILL LIKES TO TURN OUT IN THE BACK ROW FOR THE OLD CLUB WHEN HE IS IN KENT.

FOR A CHANGE THE 4'S CAME OUT FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS,LEADING ALL CONCERED TO BELIEVE AFTER 15 MINUTES OF PLAY THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE ONE WAY TRAFFIC. WRONG !!   DESPITE TWO WELL WORKED TRIES FROM 2ND ROW NICK COLES & FLY-HALF ALAN MCCABE AND A CONVERSION, ANCH'S FOUGHT BACK CHARGING DOWN TWO KICKS TO GET THEMSELVES BACK INTO CONTENTION BY HALF TIME WITH THE SCORE AT 12-10 TO MAIDSTONE.

THE SECOND HALF SAW MAIDSTONE DOMINATE THE PROCEEDINGS, EXCEPT IN THE LINE-OUT WHERE ANCHORIAN’S LANKY FRONT-JUMPER REIGNED SUPREME. MAIDSTONE WERE UNABLE TO SCORE UNTIL THE EVER ALERT ALAN MCCABE WEAVED HIS WAY OVER THE LINE. DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF BOTH SIDES THE SCORE REMAINED 19-10 WITH MAIDSTONE MISSING A PENALTY KICK AT GOAL IN THE LAST PLAY OF THE GAME THAT WOULD HAVE DENIED ANCHS A DESERVED BONUS POINT.

THE ONLY NEGATIVE PART OF SUCH A HARD FOUGHT BUT GOOD TEMPERED GAME WAS A RED CARD IN THE SECOND HALF FOLLOWING A BRIEF MELEE, WHERE SEVERAL FISTS FLEW BUT NO SERIOUS HARM WAS DONE.
HAVING THE NOUS AND EXPERIENCE OF SIMON WRIGHT AT HOOKER, MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO THE SIDE, WHILST PHIL PRICE LOOKED IMPRESSIVE WHEN HE CAME ON TO REPLACE PAUL SHARPE AT HALF TIME. IAN DAVIS SURPRISED EVERYONE WITH A VERY COMPETENT DISPLAY AT SCRUM-HALF, HAVING ONLY RELUCTANTLY VOLUNTEERED FOR THE VACANT ROLE 10 MINUTES BEFORE KICK OFF. DAVID JACKSON GAVE HIS USUAL “ALL-ACTION” DISPLAY, SWITCHING FROM FLANKER TO FULL-BACK AT HALF TIME AND STEVE GOODWIN, MATT EMERY AND CHARLIE FLYNN KEPT THE BALL RUMBLING FORWARD WHEN HARD YARDS WERE NEEDED.

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THIS WAS A COMPETENT AND NEAT DISPLAY FROM A 4TH TEAM THAT IS BEGINNINING TO PLAY CONFIDENT, WINNING RUGBY.  LONG MAY IT CONTINUE.