Cheshunt 1st XV vs Imperial Medicals

Cheshunt turned in a much improved performance, but still returned from South London pointless, losing to a well organised imperial Medicals team, who enjoyed the perfect conditions on a wide, dry pitch.

The home team took an early 3-0 lead when Cheshunt were penalised for hands in the ruck, both teams were keen to exploit the wide open spaces but were unable to create scoring opportunities from the openings they created. The visitors got close when full back Geoff Hayden returned a 22 drop out, continued possession got Cheshunt to within a metre and when the home side illegally slowed the ball down, Reece Shoobridge levelled the scores after 16 minutes.

The Green and Whites attacked from the re-start and another penalty gave them a chance to kick to the corner, the Medics fullback knocked the ball back into play, but the referee ignored the ball going forward a full 5 yards, quickly spinning the ball wide right, the Medics went the length of the field and run in under the posts for an easy conversion.

Cheshunt continued to press and a loose ball in mid-field was seized upon by Dean Gardener, he passed to winger Jack Steyn, who drew the cover and returned the ball to Gardener to cross the whitewash after 22 minutes.

The Cheshunt forwards were beginning to get on top and they dominated the set piece, after turning over a scrum on the Medics 10 yard line, they soon added a second try. Brad Ewing and Joel Bailey combined with Steyn to take possession to the 22, Dave Angell spotted a gap, passed to fellow back row Alex Clark who passed back inside to Hayden to score and the visitors had a 10-13 advantage after 32 minutes.

The lead was short lived, just before half time, despite going backwards the Medics No.8 picked from the base of the scrum, he set up a ruck and quick ball along the line allowed the right winger to cross in the corner and give the home side a 2 point lead at the break. They soon added another try after the interval, using the large pitch; they created enough space down the left to stretch to 20-13.

Medics were slowly securing more ball and Cheshunt had to defend for a long period of play around the halfway mark. Crucially they refused to give away territory; finally forcing Medics to concede a penalty and Cheshunt were able to exert some pressure in the 22. Although the home side won the ball back, a loose pass was snatched by Gardener, he was too quick for the covering defence from 20 yards out and the conversion from Shoobridge levelled the scores with half an hour left on the clock.

Cheshunt turned the ball over when they were awarded another penalty on half way, a quick tap didn’t catch out the Medics, they won the ball back and kept possession until they had a penalty under the posts, 5 yards out, their quick tap was enough to beat the Cheshunt defence, again the ball was quickly spun out wide to the left wing to regain the lead.

The visitors searched for the winning score and spent some time in the Medics 22, but as soon as the ball was turned over again, the home side raced down field and the left winger was over again in the corner, 30-20 with just 4 minutes of the game remaining. The clock was against Cheshunt and when they were awarded a penalty with a minute remaining, Shoobridge converted the kick in an attempt to claim the losing bonus point. However from the re-start, they infringed at the ruck and with the last kick of the match, Imperial Medicals again increased their lead to 10 points, to run out 33-23 winners.

Cheshunt will be encouraged by a better performance and will enjoy a week off before they welcome Datchworth to Andrews Lane on the 17th November.

Martines, Girdlestone, Phillips, Donnelly, Hounslow, Angell, Clark, Bailey, Ewing, Shoobridge, Steyn, Gardener, Starkey, Gutteridge, Hayden. Replacements – Short, Porter, Johnson