Maidstone Vets 26
Thanet 5th 19
The vets travelled to Thanet 4/5ths for an exchange fixture with a much changed team from that which performed so well for 40 minutes against Lordswood. With a completely changed front eight and with many players performing out of position it was satisfying to repeat last weeks efforts by nearly wrapping up the game by half time. Hat trick hero, scrum half, Randall ran in his tries from a combined distance of 20m following good, tight, work from the forwards with Coomber converting two of the tries. Thanet offered little attacking threat in the first half and were gifted a try by Aaron Bishop who's pass wasso beautifully weighted for the Thanet centre's interception that he ran in from fully 75m. The second half saw Aaron atone for his first half error by pressurising the Thanet scrum half into a mistake leading to an unopposed run under the posts with the try being duly converted by Coomber. Thanet raised their game and with the exception of two breakaway tries by their speedy scrum half and centre the vets defensive line, well marshalled by Walker and Hughes, generally held firm. At 26-19 the score was set to be levelled with the referee awarding Thanet a try, close to the posts, even though the ball was not successfully grounded. Upon recovering from a knock received in the act of "scoring" excellent sportsmanship was shown by the Thanet player in admitting that he had not scored and so the vets returned home with a hard earned, but well deserved, victory. Mention in dispatches to Jason Bishop who, playing his first game for some ten years, performed well and, whilst Aaron had departed from the pitch in order to protect his recently repaired foot, dad Graham made a cameo appearance towards the end of the match. Could this be a vets first in having three members of the same family playing in the same match.
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