5 October 2008
The constant cold downpour might have been dispiriting, but the Medway team and supporters left in good heart after a convincing victory. Barking are traditionally tough opponents, and while results have gone narrowly in Medway's favour in the past, the games are always feisty and hard-fought.
It was a slow start by both sides, with Medway having the better of the territory in the first 20 minutes without producing any clear cut scoring opportunities. But then a lineout on the Barking 10-metre line was gathered and the Medway pack drove Barking backwards 20 metres. Billy James broke off the back and made a powerful charge into the Barking 22, and after the ball was secured well at the ruck, Simon Brooks took the ball close to the line before Stewart Stockford took it the final metre for the first score. Stockford converted his own try despite losing his footing in the increasingly soggy ground, and Medway had a seven point lead.
Barking's resilience then came into play as four minutes later a kick through was fumbled by the Medway defence, the ball was hacked on and a Barking chaser narrowly won the race to the touchdown. The conversion went over impressively from out wide, and the sides were all square again.
Medway were just warming up, however, and scored twice in the last five minutes of the half. Ryan Ellis attempted a snipe from close range after tapping a penalty on Barking's five-metre line, but the Barking defence was wise to that. Medway secured the ball at the ruck and in the absence of the scrum-half at the bottom of the pile, hooker Jordan Hannah picked up from the base and accelerated over the line.
Then at a Barking scrum the Medway backs blitzed the Barking back line and forced a handling error. Simon Brooks picked the slippery ball off the ground and went over between the posts. Stockford converted both tries and Medway took a 21 - 7 lead into half-time.
The break saw three changes to personnel and a number of positional switches, as this rare friendly fixture was used to get players into form, but inevitably it took some time for Medway to adjust. Barking were raring to go in the second half and put much more pressure on the Medway defence in the first 15 minutes of the half. A loose pass across Medway's back line saw Barking hack through into the in-goal. Jamie Chapman reached the ball first but slid uncontrollably into the barrier. The injury to his leg was severe enough for him to be replaced.
Barking then came back into the game after keeping their passes short and controlled through their back line, and their large outside centre scored after two missed tackles in the Medway defence. The conversion missed by inches but Barking had gained some confidence and continued to pressure the visitors. The home side should have scored again a few minutes later when they had a three on one overlap on their left wing, but Tom Bourne stood his ground and the hurried pass went astray.
As the half went on the Medway defence looked more secure. Especially pleasing was the control of the ball on the ground, unusual for Medway, and the lineout had gone well all the game, with the visitors losing very few on their own throw and Aaron Dimmick nicking the ball on several occasions on Barking's throw.
Medway finished the game off in the last ten minutes of the half. A pick-and-go by Number 8 Tom Barnes went left from a five-metre scrum but was stopped. The ball went loose but the excellent Joe Jelfs was first to it and quick ball then went right to the waiting Richard Petch who charged over from short range.
Medway left their best till the last play of the match as backs and forwards combined well in an exhibition of running and close support play. Steve Lowery secured the ball and made ground before passing to Stockford. A burst by Tom Barnes drove a hole in the Barking defence for Aaron Dimmick to take the offload and break clear. Faced by the last man, Dimmick chipped the ball over the top and had the speed to touch down one-handed near the post an instant before the Barking defender reached it. Brooks converted to make the final score 33 - 12, and every Medway player can behappy with their contribution to a satisfying victory.
Man of the Match: Jack Thompson. (Coincidentally, Jack's brother Howard was Man of the Match for the Extra First XV the previous day - a good weekend for the Thompsons!)
