Match Report
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| Date - 27th March 2004 |
Old Brentwoods 1st XV-v- Bancroft 1st XV |
| Essex Division 2 |
| Old Brentwoods 31 Bancroft 12 |
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| Old Brentwoods beat Bancroft at Ashwells Road on Saturday to reclaim third place in the league.
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| The fixture was re-arranged after a broken leg suffered by one of the visitors a fortnight ago left the player unable to be moved from the pitch and caused the match to be abandoned. Meanwhile, Burnham won their game against Rayleigh to leapfrog the Old Boys in the table pending the result of this re-arranged game.
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| The home side showed their intentions early on, crossing the tryline twice through fly-half Reah and hooker Demaray only for the ball to be held up both times. Sier also came close, the winger just failing to catch a difficult low pass after centre Tentner’s break was stopped just short of the line.
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| Eventually the account was opened as flanker Womersley pirouetted out of a tackle to score beside the posts after Bancroft were repeatedly penalised for offside five metres out. Sier slotted the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
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| Five minutes later the Old Boys added a second try. Demaray found Mullen at the back of the lineout and the number 8 barged his way forward before setting up a ruck from which flanker Saini, returned to the side after a back injury, picked up and set off on a darting run. He released the ball to Reah, who in turn passed to Tentner. The centre again was tackled just short, but prop Murphy picked up from the ruck and smashed his way over the line for the try, which would remain unconverted.
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| The lead was further extended with a try for fullback Faiers from a move which started at the halfway-line with Mullen releasing Reah after picking up from the back of the scrum. The fly-half passed to inside centre Shouksmith, who was forced to take the tackle due to lack of support, and then looped round to pick up the ball and pass to Tentner who had Faiers and Sier outside him for an overlap. Drawing the tackler, Tentner passed to Faiers who dummied to Sier before going over for the try which Sier converted.
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| Bancroft nearly responded with a try of their own when their outside centre intercepted and ran clear, but they were denied by a superb tackle from left wing Bourne who turned round and chased him down. Then, just before the break, prop Barton picked up the ball in an untidy lineout and passed to Reah who scored an excellent individual try, side-stepping four tacklers as he drifted through the defence to score. The conversion was missed and the whistle went for halftime with the Old Boys leading 24-0.
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| Bancroft responded in the second half with a period of sustained pressure in the home side’s 22 as their forwards tried to drive over for a try. Resolute defence by the Old Boys’ pack, notably from second rows Bache and Croom, repeatedly stopped them short until they were eventually driven over the line for what looked like a clear try. The referee was unsighted however and awarded a 5-metre scrum. Justice was done though as they spread the ball wide through the backs and, in spite of a great tackle from Tentner, they recycled the ball and went over for the try which remained unconverted.
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| This seemed to fire up the visitors and Old Brentwoods struggled to create any more clear scoring opportunities. They came close when the ball was spread wide quickly to Bourne on the left wing, but he was held up over the line.
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| Then, following an injury to Womersley, substitute Born came on after a lengthy absence from the game. His contribution was immediate, blasting through the defence from a tapped penalty to score beside the posts. Sier converted for a 31-5 lead.
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| Showing spirit right to the end however, Bancroft came back at the Old Boys, scoring in the corner at the death. The conversion was superbly kicked from the touchline, but it was the last act of the match, bringing the score to 31-12.
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| With just two games remaining, Old Brentwoods’ chances of promotion are now slim, but they look forward to their next match at Rayleigh next week knowing that only a win will do.
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