Maidstone Vets 12
Cranbrook Vets 13
Having lost the home fixture to Cranbrook Vets 0-20 at the start of the season it was pleasing to leave the away fixture with a creditable 13-12 score line even though the Maidstone Vets are still chasing the elusive victory against one of their traditional rivals. Maybe next season! Saturdays close result was due in no small part to the youth policy of the Vets with Sam Weston and his Under-18 colleague Jason both making their senior club debuts, sharing between them the two Maidstone tries. Within the first five minutes Sam had opened the scoring and in the last five minutes Jason crossed. That try, converted by Coomber, brought Maidstone to within a point of their hosts although with two minutes remaining the exuberance of youth was to deny the vets a possible victory. From Coombers precise penalty kick, from his 10m line to within the Cranbrook 22, the lineout was won and the ball sent down the back line. Experience would have called for keeping the ball in hand, however Sam elected to kick cross-field and with the ball reaching touch Cranbrook secured their own lineout, being the last play of the game, and the victory chance was gone.
Sam was involved in a further mis-judgement, although this was entirely of his fathers making. With Richard electing to take a quick lineout throw to his son, despite many shouts of “No”, the throw was intercepted for a half the length of the field run-in to establish a five point lead for the home side, after their earlier levelling of the scores late in the first half.
The match was, however, far from being just the Weston show. With scrums being uncontested, in the first half, due to the absence of Cranbrook hooker Tom Chantler the Maidstone pack more than competed when Tom arrived and scrums reverted to contested. The front five were solid in giving No.8 Richards and scrum half Randall time and control from which to mount attacking positions. In both attack and defence the Vets back row were a consistent threat to Cranbrook and, with further evidence of the youth policy, Aaron Bishop seemed to be everywhere, ably supported by Keynes and in the second half, Bailey.
Despite the slippery ball the Maidstone backs handled well when given the opportunity and were also excellent in defence with Cochrane-Dyet putting in several quality tackles to thwart Cranbrook. Determination in defence, repelling numerous drives from short range penalties, eventually led to the home team dispensing with that tactic and taking a shot at goal . Ultimately it was the converted penalty that proved the difference between the sides in what was a close, fair contest.
