Medway III 14
Maidstone IV 7
As we arrived on Saturday we had only lost 2 starters so te omens were good. The team on paper looked fierce. Yet as per every weekend so far this season something did not go to plan. Eventually, everyone arrived and walked out ready to play at Medway 10 minutes before kick off. The first 15 minutes of the game looked ominous as the heavier, ball carrying Maidstone pack gained ground at will. Once the referee joined the game and began penalising Medway for constatnt infringements at the breakdown area, the momentum was all Madistone. John Burke returning at hooker provided a solid platform in the front row, Damian McCardle doing a good job at lock and with Ben Jones controlling play at scrum half Maidstone were threateninng for large portions of the 1st half. A few handling errors were the only things that stopped a cricket score being recorded. Craig Bowden broke the deadlock with a well worked try and a strong run. Staples converted the try to make the score 7-0 to Maidstone. Perhaps this was the worst thing to happen to Maidstone, as it has been rare this season to be so in control of a game in all areas of the pitch. It was indeed too good to be true as the referee's performance deteriorated at an alarming rate, with it frustration and 15 individuals appeared in Maidstone shirts. Medway to their credit competed really well at the breakdown, they conrtolled large portions of the second half, culminating in a try from their full back who broke a tackle and ran in unopposed to make the score 7-7. The game was there for teh taking now by either team. Medway's team work and attitude eventually won the day, with their number 9 throwing a dummy, fooling 4 Maidstone players and ran in unopposed from 20 meters out. 14-7 was how the game finished. I do not want to take anything away from the Medway performance as credit is due to their perserverance. However the game should have been wrapped up by Maidstone by half time, and this was disappointing. Lets hope that the team gets back to the gritty performance that has stood them in good stead to date against Vigo next weekend.
