Match Report

Maidstone 16 v Tunbridge Wells 18       by Trevor Langley

London League 2 South

Home at the Mote, Saturday 20 December, 2008, Kick Off –2.15pm

The pantomime spirit had a large influence on this game. Having done enough in the first half to demonstrate their dominance in every department, the Stones managed to find a couple of ugly sisters to spend time in the sin bin and drop the glass slipper at the last.

Maidstone showed some fine combined play in the first half and should have had the game sown up by the break but a spirited second half reply by the visitors saw them win with the last kick of the game, 18-16. Having to play a quarter of the match with 14 men ultimately took its toll, as too many penalties were conceded and, increasingly, chinks in defence could not be plugged.

With only two personnel changes from last week’s starting line up in the Kent Cup victory over Deal, James Sullivan coming in on the wing for Harry Stockford and Tom Castle starting in preference to Sam Rogers, Maidstone had a settled look to them. But with his first bullocking run after ten minutes, centre Neil Graves turned his ankle. He was replaced shortly thereafter, Mark Ryan moving in from the wing and Sam McPherson coming off the bench.

By this time, Piers Francis had slotted an early penalty to nose the Stones in front and he added a second with the match 20 minutes old when Tunbridge Wells went over the top at a ruck. Maidstone quickly reciprocated, allowing Murtagh, for the visitors, to cut the deficit to three points.

Driving play by the Maidstone pack was beginning to make large inroads into the Wells defence and after Sullivan had made good ground down the left following one passing movement, a second surge following a scrum in the visitors 22, saw Arnold release Mark Ryan, to dive over under the post, making the conversion a formality.

Instead of building on this solid base, Maidstone failed to capitalise and the last ten minutes of the half saw the visitors come back into the play. But even they managed to spurn good opportunities, when a forward pass at the last prevented a try and a simple penalty attempt was missed.

But it was the failure of the Maidstone team to convert their first-half superiority into points that ultimately decided this encounter. Almost for the first time this season, Maidstone’s forward were dominant in the loose and held their own in the tight. Only at the line out did they let themselves down, with too many throws missing their man.

Tunbridge Wells started the second half with determination and pace, running the ball at every opportunity and spreading it wide. But Maidstone’s defence was solid and the first real try-scoring opportunity fell to the home side, when Martin Arnold made a good break in the centre. With two men outside him, he delayed his pass and the chance was missed.

With fifteen minutes on the clock, the first ‘ugly sister’ moment arrived. John O’Brien was yellow carded for an illegal tackle and Tunbridge Wells took immediate advantage when flanker, Hathaway, burst through the Maidstone defence after a quickly taken penalty. Murtagh missed the conversion from wide out.

With O’Brien restored to the fray, Francis converted a 35 metre penalty to give an eight point cushion with ten minutes left on the clock. This should have been enough to see the Stones through to their first league victory of the season until the second ‘ugly sister’ moment arrived. This time, Jimmy Walker received a yellow card for persistent infringing, and from the penalty, Murtagh cut the deficit to five points.

With the game deep into added time, Tunbridge Wells found their way over the line once more when right wing, Rogers, finished off a move that started with a line out on the half way line, and Murtagh added the conversion with the last kick of the game.

Yes they will – no they won’t. Oh dear!

Team

Jimmy Walker; Nick East; John O’Brien: Chris Wallace; Steve Matthews: Matt Iles (Sam Rogers 60 mins); Tom Castle; Nick Sargent: Mark Graves; Piers Francis: James Sullivan; Neil Graves (Sam McPherson 15 mins); Martin Arnold; Mark Ryan: Gareth Hill