Herts/Middlesex 1 13/09/14

Herts/Middlesex 1 13/09/14
Old Actonians 32 Cheshunt 13

A well-coached and disciplined Actonians team, reminded Cheshunt how competitive the league season will be, particularly on the road. As one of the favourites for the league title, they showed their class and finished clear with a try bonus point, however, they didn’t have it all their own way and Cheshunt for long periods of the match gave as good as they got and were unlucky in the end to lose by a 19 point margin.
Both sides created early chances, Adam Chantler could not quite reach Will Payne’s chip ahead, and the home side threatened when a spilt ball on halfway, was kicked ahead by the OAs winger, but fullback Payne was on hand to clear up in his dead ball area. The visitors took the lead after 9 minutes, Reece Shoobridge slotting the penalty after the Cheshunt forwards had worked into the 22.
The home side then created their first chance with ball in hand, a break from the fly half got behind the Cheshunt defence, great handling skills from the right winger kept the ball in play, but the Cheshunt defence held firm and they were able to clear their lines when OAs would not release on the floor. OAs remained in the Cheshunt half and after several more phases, they were able to create enough space for the centre to cross after 22 minutes, 5-3.
The Green and Whites threatened next, Scott Cummines broke through mid-field, front rowers Ryan Hussey and Jake Phillips took the ball forward, but the Cheshunt pack too were penalised short of the line for holding on. OAs worked back up field and a simple penalty in front of the posts extended their advantage on the half hour mark. 7 minutes of poor rugby from Cheshunt allowed the home side to further add to their lead, 3 minutes after the re-start, from a lineout 30 metres out, the hooker took ball off the top, burst through and ran in unchallenged, with the conversion they led 15-5, then just 4 minutes later added another try which stretched the lead to 22-3 with three minutes to halftime.
Cheshunt though were able to reduce the deficit before the break, a penalty allowed them to kick to the 22, ball off the top was spun along the line where Chantler drove into the defence, quick ruck ball was switched back left and a long pass from Louis Mulholland to Dave Lever gave him enough room to step inside his winger, then outside the full back to score in the corner, at the half time whistle the score was 22-8.
The visitors started brightly in the second half, they turned down a penalty in front of the posts and a quick tap gave Shoobridge the chance to find Lever in more space, his flat pass saw the winger add to his record growing tally with his second try and C’s were trailing by just 9 points. OAs pushed to find the killer score, but the Cheshunt defence held firm, defiantly sacking lineout after lineout in the corner, finally the referee deemed Cheshunt guilty of pulling down the maul and Joel Bailey received a team yellow card. However the Cheshunt forwards remained resolute and kept the home side out, Mike Henderson ruled the breakdown and with the addition of Charlie Bagley they were enjoying the upper hand at the set piece. OAs tried to spin it wide, but centres Cummines and Scott Drew had the mid-field tied up and so the home side concentrated on making the game safe, rather than search for the bonus point try, a simple penalty was pushed wide, but with ten minutes on the clock a penalty from the 10 yard line took the score to 25-13.
Cheshunt pushed hard and had a couple of chances to reduce the lead and set up a thrilling last few minutes, but when they dropped the ball in contact just metres from the line, the home side were quick to boot the ball up field, they fly hacked deep into the 22, but Mulholland denied them initially, as he won the race to the ball. Almost inevitably, the home side were able to win the ball back at the set piece and go in under the posts, they added the conversion with the last kick of the game, to give the score a more lopsided appearance than Cheshunt deserved, 32-13
Cheshunt will not be downhearted with a spirited performance at a notoriously difficult place to record a result; they look forward to entertaining Royston next week at Andrews Lane.

Martines, Phillips, Hussey (R), Pearce, Angell, Henderson, Roberts, Bailey, Mulholland, Shoobridge, Lever, Cummines, Drew, Chantler, Payne, Replacements – Bagley, Boulton (F), Valentine.