Crowborough welcomed League leaders Gravesend to Steel Cross last week for round sixteen of this campaign. Their last meeting was in the seasons’ opener on the Kent coast when Crowborough travelled back home, having suffered a humiliating 50-0 drubbing.
Crowborough have put together three confidence boosting wins in recent weeks, putting them in seventh place, but would that be the catalyst to make it a fourth consecutive win?
During the week Crowborough had been working on their discipline to reduce the unacceptably high penalty count of previous weeks, and the fact that it worked was a major contributing factor to ‘Boro being able to play this game on the front foot, and keeping the pressure on the visitors.
The large Gravesend pack maintained initial control of the ball, with Crowborough sensibly not contesting the rucks, but stretching across the field and putting in crunching tackles that rocked and halted repeated Gravesend attacks.
However, unable to gain possession it was only to be a matter of time before the pressure told, when a rare Gravesend backs move saw a deft inside pass to the fast arriving centre who sliced through the ‘Boro defence to score between the sticks for a converted try. 0-7
From the re-start, ‘Boro gained possession, and their attacking intent was posted by Tom Simmonds as he released his fleet footed backs, to stretch the Gravesend defence. Scrambling to cover across, the move was halted, but in what was the first of a bucket full of penalties committed by the visitors, Tom Simmonds narrowed the gap. 3-7
From the kick off, the ball went straight into touch. To add to the visitors agitation the resulting scrum saw the Crowborough eight hoist the visitors high and off the ball. Ollie Clinch fed the backs and Bertie Boast placed a raking low kick into the corner.
Dave Bennett intercepted the throw, tapping down to Ollie Clinch who fed the fast arriving Alex Purnell only to be halted 2 metres out. However this was only a temporary respite as the pack arrived at speed with Andy Orchard picking up to cross the line for a Tom Simmonds converted try. 10-7
Gravesend , realising they were in for a difficult afternoon, doubled down and kept the ball tight, driving into the ‘Boro defence, who gave little quarter, with Andy Kidd, Callum Main and Alex Purnell preventing any advance around the edges, and Tom Boddy and Bertie Boast knocking back attacks in the centre. So quick were the ‘Boro defence, that Gravesend were force to concede penalty after penalty, for holding on or killing the ball, allowing Tom Simmonds to slot two more. 16-7
With half time looming Gravesend made one more attempt to narrow the gap, and but for a pile driver of a tackle by Tom Kent that dislodged the ball on the ‘Boro line, Gravesend could have gone into half time just 2 points down. 16-7 Half Time.
The high intensity from the first half continued from the restart with both sides realising that the next score would be crucial to maintain momentum. With ten minutes gone, from a lineout 20 metres from the Gravesend line, the driven maul was halted and as the ruck formed, Ollie Clinch snipped around the edge but was halted 5 metres out. Again the support was mercurial with Alex Purnell arriving to finish off a well worked try that Tom Simmonds once more converted. 23-7
This stung the visitors into action, and for the remainder of the game ‘Boro were in full defence mode, generally unable to clear the ball away from danger, making only two backs led forays into the Gravesend half of the pitch, from where they could better manage the clock. One ‘Boro move saw Bertie Boast leaving the field after a high tackle, and the second, with the overlap completed, saw the ball spilled. This period also saw Andy Walters, on for Callum Main, shown yellow.
With a man down and player changes, Gravesend saw their chance, and piled in the pressure that paid off when the left wing finished off a fine backs move for an unconverted try. 23-12
This was” squeaky” time for the large partisan crowd as they saw the margin narrow, and that feeling of unease doubled a few moments later the large Gravesend prop finished off a driving maul which once more was unconverted. 23-17.
The final five minutes were played out in the middle of the park and there was a collective sigh of relief as the final whistle went 23-17.
This result keeps ‘Boro in 7th whilst Gravesend slip to 3rd with Old Colfeians taking top spot with a game in hand. Dartfordians, Crowborough’s opponents this week are in second.