|
|
|
|
Maidstone 34 Gosport & Fareham 25 |
|
Maidstone showed their strong team spirit to come back from last weeks defeat in Jersey to outplay Gosport & Fareham by 34 points to 25 at the Mote. The challenge provided to the home team by Gosport was clear from the defeat the visitors had themselves inflicted on Jersey previously, and that this challenge was going to come through their big pack of forwards.
After the hot conditions faced last week, the first signs of autumn on the North Downs heralded playing conditions that favoured fast open rugby. On a giving surface that encouraged strong tackling, Maidstone did not disappoint, with Gary Whitehead once again looking the part in the inside centre berth. He wasn’t the only Maidstone three-quarter to catch the eye in a fast and open game but it was the solidity provided to the scrum by the debutant New Zealander, Scott McIlroy, brother of Mark who played so memorably for the Stones a few years ago, that turned the game in Maidstone’s favour. His try at a crucial time in the second half capped a wonderful day for him and the team.
In the opening exchanges, Maidstone demonstrated, with bold three-quarter moves, the way they were going to play. But it was long range punting from the Gosport outside half and the strong driving play from their forwards that earned the converted penalty that put the visitors first on the scoreboard. Maidstone quickly replied with a penalty of their own, after Gosport went offside in front of their posts, as the Maidstone pack showed they could disrupt the Gosport eight in the tight.
A period of pressure that highlighted the threat posed by Graves on the right wing, saw a penalty try awarded to Maidstone after he was stopped inches from the line. The illegal use of the hand by the Gosport No. 8, to prevent a Maidstone player grabbing the ball after the tackle, resulted in a yellow card as well as the try. Craig Whitehead converted from in front of the posts to give a 10-3 lead after fifteen minutes.
Continuing pressure from Maidstone resulted in a second try under the posts within five minutes, when Gary Whitehead broke back inside through a huge gap in the Gosport defence. Aukett added the points.
A neck injury to skipper, Jon Sargent, disrupted play and although he continued after treatment, Maidstone’s rhythm vanished and Gosport came back into the game. From a wheeled Maidstone scrum, Gosport won the put in and proceeded to attack the Maidstone line where for once, their tackling let them down and Smallbone, the Gosport centre went over under the posts to bring the score back to 17-10.
In the last few minutes of the half, Gosport reduced the difference further by converting a penalty for handling in the ruck. Porter rounded off a sweeping Maidstone move but slipped as he went round the final man with the line in his sights to close out the half with Maidstone holding a 17-13 margin. The second half started with Gosport trying to dominate proceedings through their larger pack but after withstanding early pressure, Maidstone made the first move on the scoreboard when McIlroy was on hand to take a scoring pass from skipper Sargent after Webb put in a crunching tackle on the Gosport scrum half to dislodge the ball just outside their 22. Craig Whitehead demonstrated the extra power and accuracy he has generated in his kicking this season by converting from near the touch line. A further penalty by Maidstone on 15 minutes saw them stretch their lead to 27-13.
From what should have been a dominant position, Maidstone, not for the first time, lost their concentration and allowed Gosport back into the game with a try from the No 8. The conversion left the score at 27-20 with the last quarter to play. Maidstone heeded the wake up call and, after a number of sorties on the Gosport line that saw Matthews and Claasen go close, Jon Sargent was on hand to score under the posts. Whitehead added the points to give a seemingly unassailable lead with eight minutes left on the clock.
There was one last alarum when Matthews was harshly yellow carded for a handling offence and Maidstone’s weakened scrum forfeited a last minute try to their Gosport counterparts. The missed conversion left the final score at 34-25 and a confident disposition in the Maidstone team.
Team: Tim Porter: Neil Graves; Darren Claasen; Gary Whitehead; Damien Houlihan; Glen Aukett; Craig Whitehead: Scott McIlroy; Tom Rogers; Rob Jeffrey; Steve Matthews; Dan Cummings: Adam West; Jon Sargent; Ben Court: Replacements: Richard Glover; Nigel Griva; Smitherman
Maidstone Scorers: Tries: Penalty Try 14 min Gary Whitehead 19 min Scott McIlroy 48 min Jon Sargent 73 min Conversions: Gary Whitehead 3 Glen Aukett 1 Penalties: Gary Whitehead 2
Gosport Scorers: Tries: Dave Smallbone 40 min Chris Thompson 63 min Gerald Harrison 80 min Conversions: Andy Notley 2 Penalties: Andy Notley 2 |