Crowborough’s last act of the season was to visit champions elect Maidstone, who have not lost this season, and although ‘Boro had managed to secure two victories in the past two weeks, with teams assembled from a hugely depleted squad, the chances of being able to carry it off for a third straight week and raining on Maidstone’s parade was perhaps a tad fanciful.
Maidstone are a very professional outfit, and have recruited well in their determination to reverse their fortunes, and gain promotion after suffering consecutive relegations in recent years.
Crowborough started the match giving the home side far too much respect, and seemed in awe of the approach that Maidstone brought to the first few bruising encounters. With a large pack, Maidstone were intent on keeping the ball alive, off-loading to their boisterous back row support runners who bullied their way through some ineffectual ‘Boro tackles, before setting up the ruck that simply steamrollered the ‘Boro defence before releasing their very well drilled backs.
It was after just five minutes before this tactic paid off, when Maidstone, playing up the hill and against the wind, recorded their first converted score, followed ten minutes later by an unconverted score after some brave, but ultimately futile defence on ‘Boro’s own line. 12-0.

As the first quarter drew to close, ‘Boro having braved several more attacks, started to have belief, that all was not lost and from a line out Gus O’Grady took a soaring catch and popped it down to Ben Martyn on the peel, who released Adam King to attack through the centre. This however was a touch ambitious as the professionally organised defence again paid dividends as they snuffed out the ‘Boro threat. However ‘Boro were quickest to the breakdown and Ben Delaney kept the momentum going with a quick pass slung out to Ali Main.
With the Maidstone defence playing right on the edge, Main’s direct line to his backs was blocked, so with a quick show and go, he cruelly exposed the yawning gap that the centre pairing had in their haste created, to touch down for a try that Chris Yates converted.12-7.

However,’Boro were unable to build upon these exposed defensive weakness, before firstly the Maidstone wing was allowed to get up a head of steam and broke through several weak slap tackles to score an unconverted try out wide, soon followed by a well worked converted forwards bonus point try on the 30 minute mark 24-7.
It’s been par for the course in recent weeks, that ‘Boro, having let the opposition off the hook then gear themselves up to once more narrow the deficit. However against such a professional outfit as the champions elect, this would be a tall order.
But when Maidstone knocked on during a dangerous attack, Sean Derrick picked up the loose ball and ran at the defence, whose tackling was becoming more and more exposed, and not quite as robust as their free flowing attack play had been. When Sean Derrick was stopped Maidstone infringed, but the quick penalty paid off in spades as Ben Delaney found Adam King at pace, who again exposed the defensive weakness in the 12/13 channel to dive over for an unconverted try with five minutes of the half still to play.24-12.

From the kick off the ball was not cleanly fielded and as it bounced backwards over the advancing Maidstone pack, leaving the smallest of the ‘Boro front row, Ben Martyn to juggled the elusive ball and set off for the distant try line supported by Sean Derrick. Ben Martyn passed to Sean Derrick as the 22 approached, and with the cover coming across Nik Pass and the ‘Boro pack arrived to add weight to drive the maul those remaining inches over the line. However the ball was held up and from the five metre scrum Maidstone again broke out taking the ball to within metres of the ‘Boro line, where stiff resistance turned the ball over, then showing real enterprise, with the half time whistle about to blow, counter attacked to the half way line. HT 24-12
With the first half having served up six tries it was perhaps inevitable that the flood gates would open in the second half and Maidstone added converted tries in the 44th and 59th minute, and unconverted tries in the 64th and 69th minutes respectively to take the score to an uncomfortable 50-12.

With the game well and truelly lost, ‘Boro still had the chance of securing an unlikely fourth try bonus point, and that became more of a reality when following a decisive attack by Sean Derrick that broke through several Maidstone defenders, he found Seb Goodhew in support, who rounded his opposite number to score in the corner, with still 7 minutes to go.50-17

Although this young ‘Boro side could not see an upset, they would not give up, and with Phil Cooper and Nik Pass countering the continuous forward thrusts, and the backs causing trouble for the Maidstone defence, first the Maidstone centre was sin-binned for a high tackle on Adam King, before the replacement scrum half was then red carded for excessive use on the boot.
The final few minutes saw the Maidstone line under continual attack and although the home side prevented a fourth try, this was one of the few times this season that Maidstone had conceded three tries at home.
This win confirmed Maidstone as league Champions with a game in hand over second placed Medway, and brings the league season to an end leaving ‘Boro in a creditable sixth place.

Crowborough’s next outing is away to Lewes in the Bob Rogers Cup on 25th April.

The Team – 1), Richard Tasker. 2), Ben Martyn. 3), Phil Cooper. 4), Damien Hayes. 5), Nik Pass. 6), Gus O’Grady. 7), Sean Derrick (Captain). 8), Tom Kent. 9), Ben Delaney. 10), Ali Main. 11), Tom Boddy. 12), Chris Yates. 13), Michael Waghorn. 14), Seb Goodhew. 15), Harry Sansbury.
The Bench – All Used.
16), Jim Smith (FRR). 17), Adam King & 18), Freddie Purnell.

Man of the Match for Boro’ – Gus O’Grady.

Match Report by Rick Howe.