Cheshunt Almost Grab Victory Over Finchley

Cheshunt missed another opportunity to register a victory, dominating possession and territory for large parts of the game, they failed to turn pressure into points and the hard working Finchley defence were rewarded with victory.

An early break by Jac Steyn was thwarted by the Finchley backs and the ball was turned over, the visitors counter attacked and only a covering tackle by debutant Jamie Dickson prevented the first score. The sticky conditions soon slowed the game down, the away side happy to kick possession away down field, waiting for an error, Cheshunt preferred to keep the ball in the forwards, keeping possession but making slow progress in the mud. Slowly the Cheshunt pack were beginning to get
on top and were securing most of the ball, however, they tried to move the ball wide and a loose pass on halfway was kicked ahead by the Finchley centre, two more grubber kicks got the ball over the line and the visitors fullback was the first to dive on the ball, a good conversion in the difficult conditions gave them a 0-7 lead after 12 minutes.

Cheshunt continued to have the best of the game and looked dangerous up to the 22, Finchley then slammed the door shut and despite long periods of re-cycled ball, could not get over the line. When Finchley intercepted on the 22, it looked like another breakaway try, Cheshunt re-grouped and kept them out but in the process conceded a penalty which enabled Finchley to extend the lead, just after the half hour mark.

Once again, the Green and Whites spent the remainder of the half in Finchley territory but were unable to get on the board. The second period followed the same pattern, until Cheshunt were finally rewarded with a score. Tom McGowan kicked to the corner, the pack kept the ball through several phases and McGowan noticed space out on the right, his chip ahead bounced nicely for Steyn to touch down and half the deficit with 30 minutes left on the clock.

Both sides tried their best to play rugby in the poor conditions and the game became error strewn. C’s were losing players to injury and their back line was filling up with forwards playing out of position, they were also frustrated at the breakdown, Finchley happy to test the referee on the offside line. The game drifted with neither side able to create any scoring opportunities, until Finchley conceded a penalty 30 yards out from the Cheshunt line and a quick tap might just get the
home side to the line, when Finchley wouldn’t give the ball back, Ben Hounslow was deemed to have overstepped the mark and was yellow carded, the penalty reversed and a successful conversion from the Finchley full back took the bonus point away from Cheshunt with the last kick of the match.

One last league game before the Christmas break remains, away to fellow strugglers Haringey next Saturday and Old Priorians the week after, Cheshunt return to Andrews Lane on the 5th January when the entertain Barnet.

Martines, Girdlestone, Short, Donnelly, Reynolds, Clark, Dickson, Bailey, Ewing, McGowan, Chantler, Gardener, Steyn, Doyle, Hayden. Replacements;- Phillips, Angell, Hounslow