Match Report

Deal Betteshanger 15 v Maidstone 20

         by Trevor Langley

Kent Cup, 1st Round

Away at Deal, Saturday 13 December, 2008, Kick Off –2.00pm

Coming off the back of an excellent performance the previous week against Basingstoke, Maidstone went to Deal expecting to win and they delivered in style, 20-15. This was not an easy game against a team a league below them: the Betteshanger half of the amalgamated club always generated a spirited performance in the past and with conditions windy, wet and cold, Maidstone expected, and got, a fighting performance from the opposition.

Head coach, Tim McBennett, enthused after the game about the opening quarter, when Maidstone scored three tries and played with style and conviction, establishing the platform for this, their first victory of the season. He now expects this rising tide of form to be carried forward to next week’s return league encounter with Tunbridge Wells.

With a number of absentees from the pack, debutant student, Luke Debnam stepped up into the front row to partner Jimmy Walker, while ex-Canterbury second row, Chris Wallis, packed down with Steve Matthews. Last year’s star winger, Harry Stockford, now back at the club, returned on the left wing for the first time this season and Gareth Hill moved to full-back.

With the conditions in Maidstone’s favour in the first half, they moved quickly to establish superiority and Piers Francis glided over between the posts after five minutes, giving an early seven-point cushion. The instructions to move the ball wide were followed to the letter when Gareth Hill joined the line on the outside and finished off a move from centre field, scoring in the corner for the second try. This purple patch was continued when Francis scored his own second try to establish a 17-point margin with only a quarter of the game completed.

But this was never going to be an easy game, and Deal gradually got back into things by playing a simple, but effective, pick and drive game which began to unsettle Maidstone’s attempts to dominate. In trying to stifle the Deal forwards, Jimmy Walker infringed once too often and spent the last 10 minutes of the half in the sin-bin. But this didn’t stop Piers Francis converting a penalty just before half-time to give Maidstone a 20 point margin.

The foul conditions saw the players seek refuge in the changing rooms for the break. On returning to the fray, Maidstone knew that the conditions would be in favour of the home side and calm defending was the most likely action for the second half.

And so it proved. Deal kicked cleverly with the wind to the right hand corner at every opportunity to get themselves within striking position of the Maidstone line. For their part, Maidstone players defended as if their lives depended on it and they managed to withstand the Deal onslaught for 20 minutes. 

Deal’s first score came after assured handling released the right-wing to score in the corner; the second, ten minutes later, after neat footwork by their prop-forward going round the loose scrum, to score half way out. Their last try came after the No 8 slipped down the side of a maul in the Maidstone 22 with nine minutes still on the clock.

But Maidstone refused to buckle to the pressure and showed their increased fitness and confidence, spending most of the last period of the game in the Deal half, testing the defences of the home side with some strong running from both backs and three-quarters. This win was no early Christmas present from inferior opponents but a well crafted victory against a spirited team with nothing to lose.   

Team

Jimmy Walker; Nick East; Luke Debnam: Chris Wallis; Steve Matthews: Matt Iles; Sam Rogers Nick Sargent (Tom Castle 70 mins): Mark Graves; Piers Francis: Harry Stockford (Richard Glover 60 mins); Neil Graves; Martin Arnold; Mark Ryan: Gareth Hill