Match Report
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| Date - 28th February 2004 |
Old Brentwoods 2nd XV -v- Southend 4th XV |
| Merit Table |
| Old Brentwoods II 27 Southend IV 5 |
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| A commanding first-half performance by Old Brentwoods 2nd XV helped them defeat Southend 4th XV at a bitterly-cold Ashwells Road on Saturday.
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| The home side started strongly and were on the scoreboard after just two minutes. From a lineout at the Southend twenty-two, Stroud caught the ball cleanly to secure possession from which scrum-half Neil Hannaway passed to Perry Reeves. The elusive fly-half weaved his way through the defence to score beside the posts and then converted his own try for an early 7-0 lead.
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| This was extended just two minutes later as a loose Southend kick found Mike Bache in acres of space at the halfway line. The flanker ran it back deep into the visitors’ territory, neatly side-stepping a tackler before releasing the supporting winger Mole, who showed good strength to cross the line and ground the ball in the corner despite the best efforts of the Southend defence.
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| The third try came from a five-metre scrum after centre Buchanan had made good ground with a typical bulldozing run before releasing fellow centre O’Connor, who in turn found Ian Hannaway. The left wing was stopped short of the line, and a knock-on at the breakdown gave the put-in to Southend. Strong scrummaging by the Old Boys’ forwards put their much larger opposition under some pressure, however, and the hurried pass from the Southend scrum-half was dropped in goal by the fly-half. Neil Hannaway, who had been a constant thorn in the side of the visitors with his alert defence, once again showed his sharpness as he pounced on the loose ball for a try under the posts. Reeves duly obliged with the conversion.
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| At 19-0 down Southend finally started to put together some periods of sustained possession which saw them break into the home side’s territory, and it took some committed cover tackling, notably from fullback Hugh Godfrey and flankers Chris Davies and Mike Bache to stifle them. Just as it seemed that the Old Boys would survive until the break without conceding, however, a kick over the top from the Southend fly-half produced a controversial try for the visitors as defending hooker Cavanagh was deemed not to have touched down after getting to the ball first, and the try was awarded. The missed conversion was the last kick of the half with the score at 19-5.
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| Eager to play the second half in the same manner as the first, Old Brentwoods put pressure on the visitors from the restart. Buchanan, Paddy Bache and Tim Cuthbert brought the Old Boys into their opponents’ twenty-two and were awarded a penalty for their efforts, which Reeves slotted between the uprights.
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| Southend were determined not to let the home side have things all their own way, however, and laid siege to the Old Boys’ line, but were frustrated by some committed defence. Eventually they crossed the try-line with a rolling maul only to be denied by Cavanagh diving in heroically to hold the ball up. From the five-metre scrum the visitors spread the ball wide but an excellent tackle by Ian Hannaway forced the knock-on and Old Brentwoods were finally able to clear the ball.
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| Further respite came as Whitaker, on for the home side as a replacement for Davies, stole the ball at a maul and gave it to Neil Hannaway, who kicked it on for his fatter but less ginger brother to chase. Ian Hannaway duly retrieved the ball, but the inside pass to the supporting Doug Sier was too low for the substitute centre, who could only knock it on. Shortly afterwards he was able to get his hands on the ball, however, contributing two penetrating runs to a move that finished with Stroud going over for the final try of the game. Reeves was unable to add the conversion, leaving his personal haul at 12 points, and the final score at 27-5 in what had been a competitive but good-natured match.
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| The victory consolidates Old Brentwoods’ position at the top of the division, and next week they travel to Billericay 2nd XV for a friendly.
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