Crowborough’s narrow victory over Deal & Betteshanger the previous week, gaining three valuable league points came at a heavy costs with Nick Hill, Sean Derrick, Tom Kent, Tom Nicoll, Andy Walters and Charlie Butler all unavailable for selection, and as a consequence, whilst giving the opportunity to several players making their first team debuts, as well as a welcome return to Phil Cooper in the front row, it meant that for the second consecutive weekend ‘Boro, like their opponents, were unable to field a second string, such is the queue in the treatment rooms.

As in the previous week, expectations of the faithful were guarded, but once again within five minutes Crowborough were walking back to the half way line having recorded their first five points. With Ashford in all-out attack mode, Ed Delaney scrambled a ball from a breakdown to Ali Main who broke to the blind with Harry Sansbury in support. As Ali Main straightened the line he passed to Harry Sansbury but with space running out as the cover came across, he put in a chip off the outside of his right boot aimed for Ali Main, but the ball bounced left over the try line, and Harry Sansbury won the race to the touch down.
Because of the strong breeze this afternoon, Chris Yates kick went to the left of the upright. 0-5.

Crowborough continued to press, with Matt Botterman and Nik Pass adding some real physicality to the pack with several strong driving runs that put the Ashford defence on the back foot, whilst Phil Cooper appeared to relish practising the dark arts once more.
From one such drive, quick ruck ball came out to Ali Main who with two delightful dummies breezed through the 12/13 channel and made 50 metres before being caught from behind just fifteen metres short from the line. As the support arrived the maul rolled left before Ben Delaney shifted the attack to the right, feeding Ali Main who found Michael Waghorn and Harry Sansbury in support who, drawing the defence, allowed Chris Yates to cross over for the try, which went unconverted.0-10.

With seven minutes of the half remaining and with Michael Waghorn and Chris Yates creating the dummy line Ali Main passed back to Harry Sansbury coming in from the second line at speed and a steep angle. He then cut through the fragile defence making fully sixty metres before being brought down. From the ruck Ben Delaney moved the ball left before reversing the pass to Ali Main on the left. Ali Main looked up seeing debutant Tom Boddy on the wing, and put in an inch perfect cross field kick that Tom Boddy caught on the full, and as the cover came across he side stepped in-field and crossed the line to score under the posts with Chris Yates converted to take the score to an unlikely 0-17.

Having only to manage the clock through to half time, Crowborough characteristically, having scored, relaxed allowing a still rampant Ashford side to attack down the right and aided with some abject ‘Boro tackling, crossed the line for an unconverted try. Indeed with a minute remaining and Ashford in the accendancy and attacking the ‘Boro line, it was the back row trio of Gus O’Grady, Matt Botterman and Nik Pass, putting in several bruising hits that prevented , Ashford from scoring and ‘Boro going into the second half just 5 points ahead. As it was, the whistle went with ‘Boro leading 5-17, but with Harry Slatter off with a knee injury giving Chris Dawkins the opportunity at #8.

The second half started much as the first had ended with ‘Boro on the receiving end of a resurgent Ashford side that could sense a turnaround. The official granted a penalty to Ashford in front of the posts, for a Matt Botterman infringement which saw the Botterman, now in the second row binned for 10 minutes and the deficit reducing 8-17.

With fourteen ‘Boro players on the pitch, Ashford stepped up the pressure, but Crowborough’s previously suspect tackling firmed up sufficiently to provide the semblance of resistance. In the blink of an eye moment however, from a lineout five metres from their own line and with the backs lined up behind the try line, Ben Delaney took the tap down to Chris Yates who looked up and seeing the Ashford backs lined up flat, put in a deft chip over the advancing backs for Ali Main to run onto.
Ali Main took the chip at full tilt only for the official to blow the whistle to rule that he was offside at the kick, and in a suspiciously late hit Ali Main was then floored requiring treatment on the field, and although he stayed on for a moment was led from the field thus removing one of the major obstacles to Ashford’s ambition. Poetically the penalty was then struck against the post and cleared up-field, a miss that would have vital consequences for the home side at the end of the match.

From a long clearance by Chris Yates, the Ashford #14 took the kick deep in his own half, but ‘Boro were guilty of not following up the kick and allowing the #14 to get up a head of steam. With the ineffectual tackling resuming, the winger, hardly without deviation streaked through gap after gap to score between the posts for the converted try that took the score to 15-17 and leaving the travelling faithful with an agonising 10 minutes of play remaining.

To their credit ‘Boro ran the clock down well, keeping the ball in hand and away from the dangerous Ashford runners, and the game came to an end with ‘Boro running out 15-17 winners. With Deal & Betteshanger losing to Maidstone it means that ‘Boro clinch sixth position in the league with their remaining match away to league leaders Maidstone on 11th April.

The Team, 1), Richard Tasker. 2), Ben Martyn, (Captain). 3), Phil Cooper. 4), Harry Slatter. 5), Damien Hayes. 6), Gus O’Grady. 7), Nik Pass. 8), Matt Botterman. 9), Ben Delaney. 10), Ali Main. 11), Andy Orchard. 12), Michael Waghorn. 13), Chris Yates. 14), Tom Boddy. 15), Harry Sansbury.
The Bench – All used
16), Harry Lacey, 17), Jim Smith & 18) Chris Dawkins.

Match Report – by Rick Howe.