13 November 2005
Medway under-14s, sponsored by Beadles Toyota, made hard work of it against a Dartfordian side that has improved since last season. It was the first cold match day of the season, and cold fingers and a wet ball made for poor handling and a stop-start game.
Medway were in for an early shock score against them. A lineout on their 10 metre line was gathered by the Dartfordian forwards. The Medway pack put on a big drive to force them back, but the opposition number 8 peeled off the maul and sprinted upfield. Brushing off the last attempted tackle, he went over the goal line to cheers from his teammates and the try was converted.
It was the first time Medway had been behind this season -- and the last time that Dartfordians visited Medway territory in the first half.
Constant pressure was put on the Dartfordian goal line, but the crucial pass was too often innaccurate or knocked forward. Both Jamie Chapman and Stewart Stockford went over the line but the ball was held up. But the pressure finally told. Tapping a penalty 10 metres out, scrum-half Ryan Ellis flipped the ball up to Tom Barnes who drew the mass of the defence before cleverly whipping a pass out for Joe Jelfs to score. Stockford narrowly missed the conversion.
Medway took the lead seven minutes later when Number 8 Richard Petch charged from the base of a scrum, but he was brought down inches from the line. Skipper Gavin Hyder picked up and was pushed over by the pack. Stockford now had the range and put over a fine conversion from a narrow angle, and Medway had a 12-7 lead at half time.
Early in the second half, Medway put together their most cohesive attack of the game.
Winning a scrum on the left wing, the ball was passed all the way to the right winger James Collier. Full back Tom Bourne joined the line on the switch and stayed on his feet till the pack arrived.
The Petch and Hyder double act was then front of stage again with Petch rushing the defensive line and Hyder picking up from the ruck. He feinted towards the backs before darting over close to the posts. Verrall converted.
Eight minutes later Dartfordians attempted to counter-attack from their own 22, but poor handling and pressure from the Medway backs allowed Jelfs, an artful forager in the loose, to get hands on the ball, spin out of a tackle and dive under the posts. The conversion by Verrall made the final score 26 - 7.
