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Sat 19 Sep 2015 · London 2 South East
Beckenham
1st XV
24
19
And Beckenham win again in the last few minutes.....
Ian GEERING23 Sep 2015 - 21:19
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A spirited performance and a fight back earn a losing bous point !
Beckenham are making a bad habit of scoring against Crowborough in the last few minutes of a game, to secure the win. On Saturday, Beckenham did it again for the third fixture in a row, this time on 77 minutes, it was very frustrating for the boys in Cherry & White Hooped shirts, fighting back to level terms 12 minutes from full-time.
Only 4 players remained from the fixture last February, but it was no surprise given the amount of players missing due to injuries and the amount who have travelled to watch fixtures in the RWC. So the starting line-up was unusual with many new faces, young and old boys returning to help out.
Beckenham field one of the largest packs in the league, and probably the largest prop! And it was clear that the Crowborough needed a great performance to obtain any sort of result from their visit to South London.
Borough started well, with the all pressure from the away side, and Chris Yates finding his range, moving the ball well and finding large gaps in the Beckenham defence.
On 9 minutes it was Boro’ who struck first, from a ruck just outside the Beckenham 22, They moved the ball quickly from the back of the scrum by the new scrum half this season Ben Searle, the ball moved swiftly through the hands before Gary Stevens running a superb line to score to the right of the posts. The Conversation by Chris Yates being successful, 0 -7.
The Borough forwards to continue to press and were awarded a penalty, As the Beckenham forwards were not rolling away after the tackle. Chris Yates put the penalty kick just, wide of the upright.
The next phase of play was all about Beckenham using their big forwards to batter the Boro’ defence, and Andy Baker the Crowborough Physio being the busiest man on the pitch for a while, with a number of players taking knocks during the exchanges.
After a number of flurries moving the ball from left to right the overlap came and Beckenham scored out wide and with the kick successful the scores were level at 7 a-piece.
Borough took the fight back to Beckenham, but it was the home side who took the lead, with another powerful play by the forwards creating a large hole in the Boro defence giving the kicker an easy chance for the extras. It was during this move that Boro lost Andy Orchard who took a bang to the head, He was replaced by the Evergreen, Matt Cheney making his 1st XV come back after a 7 year absence.
The big Beckenham Pack continued to push and at this point seemed to be in full control, following another pick and go they created another opening which was fully taken by the centre, who scored to the right of the posts. However the kick was missed 19 – 7 at Half time.
Head Coach, Richard Siggs half time talk galvanised the boys, and Boro’ were on the attack from the Kick-off, winning a penalty which everyone thought that they would kick through the posts, instead they went for touch 10 metres out. Ben Martyn in the thick of things all afternoon, hit his jumpers at the line-out and the ball came out to the wing with two men to beat Phil Price power through the first and ran into the second and managed to get the ball down over the line for the score. The conversion was a formality for Chris Yates and with the score now 19 -14.
The Beckenham side didn’t bank on the spirited Crowborough fight back, and seem to lose control of this period highlighted by the next passage of play which was all boro’. From the kick off Borough took the ball into the Beckenham half and were awarded a penalty for coming in at the side of the ruck. As the Kick was slightly out of range for the kicker the boys went for on the far side of the pitch. And from his own line-out Ben Martyn ended the move with a score in the corner. The kick was missed but the scores were now all equal at 19 all.
The final period was going to be difficult as the pressure came from the Beckenham forwards returning to the style of play that achieved so much earlier in the game. Moving the Boro defence around the pitch at will. Then with a few minutes to go Beckenham scored with the overlap out wide, the kick was missed but the game was now won, as soon as the ball went dead from the kick-off the game was over, 24 – 19.
This was very much a team effort, and everyone who took part played their part in an entertaining afternoon of Rugby.
Only 4 players remained from the fixture last February, but it was no surprise given the amount of players missing due to injuries and the amount who have travelled to watch fixtures in the RWC. So the starting line-up was unusual with many new faces, young and old boys returning to help out.
Beckenham field one of the largest packs in the league, and probably the largest prop! And it was clear that the Crowborough needed a great performance to obtain any sort of result from their visit to South London.
Borough started well, with the all pressure from the away side, and Chris Yates finding his range, moving the ball well and finding large gaps in the Beckenham defence.
On 9 minutes it was Boro’ who struck first, from a ruck just outside the Beckenham 22, They moved the ball quickly from the back of the scrum by the new scrum half this season Ben Searle, the ball moved swiftly through the hands before Gary Stevens running a superb line to score to the right of the posts. The Conversation by Chris Yates being successful, 0 -7.
The Borough forwards to continue to press and were awarded a penalty, As the Beckenham forwards were not rolling away after the tackle. Chris Yates put the penalty kick just, wide of the upright.
The next phase of play was all about Beckenham using their big forwards to batter the Boro’ defence, and Andy Baker the Crowborough Physio being the busiest man on the pitch for a while, with a number of players taking knocks during the exchanges.
After a number of flurries moving the ball from left to right the overlap came and Beckenham scored out wide and with the kick successful the scores were level at 7 a-piece.
Borough took the fight back to Beckenham, but it was the home side who took the lead, with another powerful play by the forwards creating a large hole in the Boro defence giving the kicker an easy chance for the extras. It was during this move that Boro lost Andy Orchard who took a bang to the head, He was replaced by the Evergreen, Matt Cheney making his 1st XV come back after a 7 year absence.
The big Beckenham Pack continued to push and at this point seemed to be in full control, following another pick and go they created another opening which was fully taken by the centre, who scored to the right of the posts. However the kick was missed 19 – 7 at Half time.
Head Coach, Richard Siggs half time talk galvanised the boys, and Boro’ were on the attack from the Kick-off, winning a penalty which everyone thought that they would kick through the posts, instead they went for touch 10 metres out. Ben Martyn in the thick of things all afternoon, hit his jumpers at the line-out and the ball came out to the wing with two men to beat Phil Price power through the first and ran into the second and managed to get the ball down over the line for the score. The conversion was a formality for Chris Yates and with the score now 19 -14.
The Beckenham side didn’t bank on the spirited Crowborough fight back, and seem to lose control of this period highlighted by the next passage of play which was all boro’. From the kick off Borough took the ball into the Beckenham half and were awarded a penalty for coming in at the side of the ruck. As the Kick was slightly out of range for the kicker the boys went for on the far side of the pitch. And from his own line-out Ben Martyn ended the move with a score in the corner. The kick was missed but the scores were now all equal at 19 all.
The final period was going to be difficult as the pressure came from the Beckenham forwards returning to the style of play that achieved so much earlier in the game. Moving the Boro defence around the pitch at will. Then with a few minutes to go Beckenham scored with the overlap out wide, the kick was missed but the game was now won, as soon as the ball went dead from the kick-off the game was over, 24 – 19.
This was very much a team effort, and everyone who took part played their part in an entertaining afternoon of Rugby.
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