MATCH REPORT 4/11/06 by Matt “Sport Billy” Ellesmere

Cranbrook III 22     Maidstone V Barbarians 5

(Try: Ellesmere M)

Yet again the Barbarians left themselves with a mountain to climb in the second half with a somewhat lacklustre first half performance. This was despite having the valid excuse of some late cry-offs leaving the Stones with only 13 men and Cranbrook later admitting that they had sent a weakened 2nd string to play Maidstone’s 3rd XV.  Had the visitors been fully at the races in the first as they undoubtedly were in the second, then this game could have gone to the wire.

Cranbrook made the most of their numerical advantage in the opening period by generally being first to the loose ball and putting the Stones under pressure around the fringes, despite the best efforts of Maidstone’s Andy Bell playing his first game as scrum-half.  All three of the host’s three tries came from having that extra man in the right place when it counted.  The closest the visitors came to getting on the scoresheet was when centre Maff Newman hacked on from a kick over the top.  Unfortunately the ball just bobbled out of play before he or full-back Paul Hodges could get the touchdown.

One aspect of the game that Maidstone were coping comfortably with was in the scrum where the seven man pack often had the shove on, particularly in the second half with prop forward, Paul Arthurs, constantly giving his opposite number a hard time.  This helped the Stones gradually back into the game and enabled them to put pressure on the Cranes’ line.  Maidstone went close on a couple of occasions but it wasn’t until fly-half Matt Ellesmere swooped on a loose ball behind the try-line that they troubled the scoreboard.

In an attempt to get back on level terms the Barbarians threw all caution out of the window. Unfortunately, however, when attempting to attack from a deep position, Cranbrook ran in an interception to set the seal on a Mid Kent “D” home win.   

Skipper Martin Carr will feel aggrieved that the late cry-offs and no help from above for his league fixture almost certainly lost Maidstone the game.  They know who they are and if their conscience doesn’t trouble them then the fact that the Barbarians’ Ulsterman ‘knows where they live’ should do!