Match Report
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| Date - 20th November 2004 |
Old Brentwoods 1st XV-v- Burnham 1st XV |
| Essex 2 |
| Old Brentwoods 25 Burnham 17 |
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| The Old Boys were made to work hard for their victory and make it four
unbeaten league games in a row.
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| The home team started brightly and were well worth their
early lead: successive forward drives brought the pack to the Burnham line
and with the ball being spun out from Neil Hannaway to Chris Reah it was
Neil Tentner that made the decisive break to cross the line after ten
minutes. Paul Sier was unsuccessful with the conversion.
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The home team took heart from this score and stepped up a gear. The
back row of Matt Staines, James Holmes and Pat Stroud harried the
Burnham back line forcing errors which the Old Boys' back division
gratefully exploited.
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| A break from Dean Bourne, which was supported well by Alex Hughes,
resulted in a try for Staines and it was a similar combination that
enabled Bourne to go over for a further try five minutes later. Neither try
was converted.
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| Burnham continued to work hard and a period of sloppy play from the
home team gave them three penalties in quick succession. The first two were
unsuccessful but the kicker made no mistake with the third.
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| The home team regrouped and a well-won line-out by Tim Croom was taken
on by Hannaway who burst through the Burnham defence. Pat Stroud took
the ball on and passed to Paul Sier who went over the line for a fine
try. Sier was unsuccessful once again with the conversion and the score
remained 20-3 at half time.
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| The second half saw Burnham play with renewed vigour and put the Old
Boys under pressure from the start. Their efforts brought out some fine
defensive work from the home team but a lapse in concentration following
the sin-binning of Tentner allowed the Burnham right wing to go over
unopposed beside the posts.
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| The home team had more cause for alarm five minutes later as a break from
the visitors from their own 22 brought a further try. With this
conversion going over too the seemingly comfortable position at half
time looked precarious twenty minutes into the second half with Burnham
having reduced the deficit to just three points.
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| The last three league games have seen the Old Boys grow in character and
this self-belief began to tell as they sought to hang on to and extend
their lead. Stout defensive work and solid set plays gave the home team a
base. From a successful line-out Hannaway set up Alex Hughes who burst
through the Burnham line. Holmes was in close support and when he was
tackled Bourne was on hand to carry the ball over for the try. The
conversion attempt missed but despite further pressure from Burnham there
would be no further score and the Old Boys could feel delighted
with the 25-17 scoreline, as well as the overall display they produced to obtain
this vital victory.
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