Medway RFC Cougars

Sunday 28 March 2010

Medway 17 - Cranbrook 27

Tries: Christodoulou (2), Wardzynski

Con: Stone

Cougars Squad:

Medway Cougars entertained a very strong side from Cranbrook for the last home game of this season. It was a well matched game with Medway holding the majority of the possession in the Cranbrook half but not being able to score. Two weekends of heroics in the Kent Festival were to count for nothing as lapses in concentration led to two Cranbrook break away tries that ultimately sealed the Cougars fate.

The match opened with neither side showing any early dominance. Cranbrook then played a well worked switch in their centres and the gap that opened up was punished as the visitors sped through for an early try. Medway answered with spirit, driving on, pushing forward but the support for the man on the ball was not fast enough and we were turned over in the tackles. The Cougars play was open though and with some very good movement of the ball ground was made again and again pushing Cranbrook back in their own half. It took a lot of hard work with mistakes and turnovers creeping in and Cranbrook using the boot to clear. However, Luca Syplywczac proved a very safe pair of hands at full back gathering several long, high clearances and returning them with interest. Eventually Jake Christodoulou broke through to equal the score at 5-5. Celebration was short lived though as the return from the kick off supported by a good hard drive from Cranbrook allowed them to take the lead back with a second unconverted try. The half was a tough one for Cranbrook whose general play saw them regularly fall foul of the referee and their frustration was clearly evident. Another day and another referee and one or more Cranbrook players may have been sin binned for the persistant infringements, particularly at the scrum but they made it intact to half time with the score 5-10 to the visitors.

Cranbrook came out strong at the start of the second half and drove into Medway territory. It was clear that their coach had got at them and they were now playing the referee better. The ball broke and was fed to the wing for a try followed by a successfull extras kick. Not long afterwards the first of the Cranbrook breakaway tries took the score to 5-22 as Medway fell asleep at a quick line out. With a hill to climb the Cougars showed their fighting spirit as they have so often this season, they drove to within 5 metres of the Cranbrook line. The next attack saw Max Fenton pick up from the back of a scrum and make a characteristic thrust through the opposition defence to within 10 metres of the line where Christodoulou gathered and drove over, 10-22. Cougars drove on, continuing to pressure the Cranbrook defence, we reached the line but were held up in a sea of bodies. The lads pressed again and Syplywczac now playing in the forwards thought he'd scored only to be denied. The referee had a view above the diving player and seemed certain to award the try. However, he sought counsel from the Cranbrook touch judge who confirmed that the ball was dropped and not touched down. The Cougars continued to pile on the pressure but couldn't make it count and then the second break away try was snatched against the run of play by Cranbrook to take the score to 10-27 as the Cougars were again caught napping by quick thinking Cranbrook. Never say die should be the Cougars motto as Dan Stone gathered the Medway kick off which fell between two static Cranbrook forwards and from then on the game was played out in the Cranbrook half, if not their 22. The continuing pressure told when Charlie Wardzynski spotted a gap and darted through to score. Stone converted and the game ended 17-27.

The Cougars played well at times in this game but were guilty of too much lateral movement that did not penetrate the Cranbrook defence enough. Added to their costly lapses in concentration they just didn't do enough to win the game. On an off day for Medway John Last showed his recent progress with some great takes and carries at prop, while Lewis Bailey's introduction in the second hald brought a steading hand to a scrum that was creaking at the time. The rest of the pack worked hard and held their own without Tom Whitnall, Harrison Irons, Tom Brown and Liam Fitzpatrick (who had to go off early with an eye injury), whilst Syplywczac at full back had a very solid game. However, Mark Marriott's Man of the Match was Max Fenton whose tireless running and carries drove Medway on throughout. Well done Max.

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