Match Report
Ashford IV 15 – 29 Maidstone V Barbarians
(Tries: Foskett B, Barney C, Nunn (2), Gillies; Cons Nunn (x2))
The Stones won their fifth game on the spin with a hard fought (literally at times!) win against Ashford. Despite fielding a number of inexperienced players (with Ben Hodges starring as Man of the Match in his first outing as hooker) and the odd old crock returning from injury the Barbarians kept their noses throughout before finishing strongly as frustration crept into the home team’s ranks.
The visitors took the lead following a break from Rob Leedham down the blind side before feeding Ben Foskett in support to score under the posts. An early sign of Ashford’s frustration was in evidence when fly-half Matt Ellesmere was tripped when gathering a ball from his own chip and with the defence opening up in front of him. Unfortunately for Maidstone the referee was unsighted and only gave a scrum for the resulting knock-on! No 8 ‘Barney C’ soon made amends however when picking up from a scrum in the opposition’s 22 and battering his way over the try line. Ashford hit back firstly with a penalty and then a try after good work by their backs put their winger in the corner.
Early in the second half centre Richard Nunn stormed through the Ashford defence to enhance the lead before the home team reduced the deficit with a try of their own. Scrum-half Mike Gilles restored the advantage and kept up his prodigious strike rate this season following a scrum in the Ashford 22. Nunn then grabbed his second to put the result beyond doubt when pressure on the Ashford backs led to a mistake that allowed the big centre to hack on and touch down despite being shoved off the ball. All that was left was for tight head prop Paul Arthurs to get marched back his customary 10 yards for having a disagreement with the referee!
Unfortunately it was not all good news for the Stones. Prop Paul Kelly had his eye split following an unprovoked punch by one of the Ashford flankers which resulted in a trip for him and later most of his travelling companions – to the William Harvey. . Richard Nunn also had to make the same trip after fracturing his hand!
