Match Report by Rick Howe.

After several matches this season, Crowborough have left the field rueing another close loss, and mouthing the words “ if only or what if?”
It did not help in this latest confrontation that Crowborough arrived in south London with just 17 fit players leaving and incredible 18 players on the treatment bench, many with long term injuries. This forced Dan Moore (Head Coach) to make himself available to cover any pending problem.
A lesser side would have folded even before the kick-off, but there is much, much more about this side, and recent weeks has shown that they just need that “ something”, to get their first “W “on the board.
It is not just the players who have confidence for future results. It says something that a large travelling contingent of the Crowborough faithful, that almost matched the home support, were willing to travel in search of that elusive win.
Crowborough started the game in a lively mode attacking up the hill, only to spill the ball before finding themselves back in their own 22, facing a barrage of strong running forward support runners that threatened to overwhelm the ‘Boro defence. However the pride of the ‘Boro collective, led by a rejuvenated Callum Main prevented the line being crossed, and when Main stripped the ball, it was quickly recycled across the park to Connor Hand who was halted on the Beccs 22.
In what was to become an end to end type of game, Becc’s regained possession but their attack was snuffed out when the ball was spilled on the Boro 22. With Beccs alignment disrupted by the speed of their movement, Boro counter-attacked with quick flat passes, and with the over-lap clearly on, the Beccs centre took a risky gamble of the interception, and very much against the run of play held onto the ball as he cruised through to score under the posts, for a converted try.7-0
Not fazed by this set back , Crowborough were immediately on the offensive once more, putting the Beccs defence under pressure in their own 22. When the ball was turned over the #10 put in a relieved and speculative clearance kick into the ‘Boro half, that was initially knocked on by Andy Orchard, and in trying to recover, his slip left the door open for the Beccs winger to pick up and trot in to score another converted try , with everyone again asking “if only”14-0
Perhaps the biggest differences between the sides were the line speeds of the defensive lines and the completion of the first up tackles. Where Beccs required just the one, Boro often required two or even three attempts to halt the attacker, stretching defensive resources.
From a Becc’s scrum five metres from the Boro line, as it wheeled the #8 picked up and drawing the cover offloaded to the #6 to score a third converted try, that would have killed off any further resistance from a lesser side. 21-0
To rub it in, a Beccs penalty from fully 45 metres was slotted, warning ‘Boro against any further transgressions in their own half. 24-0.
As half time approached Andy Orchard took a kick on the full, making 30 metres , outstripping the cover defence before drawing the final cover and off-loading to Connor Hand to score out wide for a James Hart converted try, although for even the most optimistic of the “faithful” it was probably “too little too late”. 24-7
The second half started with ‘Boro playing down the slope, and with the match starting to go the visitors way, the game entered a “stop/start” phase, as one Beccs injury after another broke up the significant ‘ Boro momentum.
The game was played at pace, and from several scrums deep in the Beccs half the lighter but fitter Crowborough pack started to dominate the set pieces with both Marcus Castle and Mark Rosier dominating their opposite number’s, this forced the Beccs unit backwards most of the afternoon, forcing the official to issue several penalties and one yellow card.
With Callum Main and Andy Orchard making thorough nuisances of themselves, Beccs tried to break out from their own line , Callum Main harried and stripped possession from the Beccs carrier, and in one motion the ball was slung wide down the Boro line for Seb Lewis to latch onto the last pass to cross the line out wide on the left. 24-12
With the gap narrowing, it was a blow when Beccs engineered a well taken try drawing in the Crowborough defence around the edges of the scrum, before moving it wide and exploiting the overlap. 31-12
Much to Beccs astonishment Boro were far from finished, and from a short 10 metres penalty, the Beccs line speed, which now appeared suspiciously off-side, was to be their undoing, as the slight dog-leg was an open invitation to Dave Bennett to exploit to score under the posts for another converted Boro try. 31-19
Another 3 points were gifted to Beccs, and with the clock running down and more of the practiced antics employed to stem the vigorous Boro momentum, Connor Hand placed yet another penalty into the corner for a last ditch attempt to get something from this game.
The lineout was won and as the Boro pack drove into the Beccs eight, several more penalties were given away before Boro moved the ball through the hands out to Tom Boddy who scored out wide to take the final score to 34-26.
The fourth try gave ‘Boro a bonus point but the earlier penalties took them out of losing bonus point territory and keep Boro in 11th place in the league, and with no match next week it gives the walking wounded time to recover.
This by any measure was a cracking game and showed that the basis of a good side is there waiting to burst out, but until then ----“ if only “.