24th October 2009


Maidenhead 19 - 12 Wallingford
(league fixture)
 

Before this match Maidenhead were one point ahead of Wallingford in the league and their respective positions were born out in a very even contest. This win will have inched Maidenhead into the top half of the table, which is a fair reflection of how they have played for the first eight games.

For the first half they were the better side with the line-out functioning particularly well and a simple backs move saw Alex Menard put Lester Martin in the clear for the first try which was converted by Rob Wilkins to make it 7 – 0 to Maidenhead. Then a few minutes later a line-out deep in the Wallingford 22 became a maul and from the back of it Dave White shot down the blind side for another try to put Maidenhead 12 – 0 up.

By now Maidenhead were playing a sensible kicking game that kept Wallingford in their own half and another score came when Piers Morgan picked up from the base of a scrum about 5 metres out from the Wallingford line and drove over for another try by the posts. Score now 19 – 0 and Maidenhead were looking well in control. But it wasn’t to last as despite excellent work by both line out jumpers, Jamie Plumer and Chris Kelly, and the hooker James Cox, Wallingford were awarded a penalty in the Maidenhead 22 and barged over to leave the half time score at 19 – 5 to Maidenhead.

Through out the second half Maidenhead got steadily more ragged, with too many hasty and poor passes, missed tackles and penalties against them until after a period of pressure Wallingford scored under the posts. It was in fact a penalty try for a trip but it would have been a score anyway. Now, at 19 –12 it was a different game with nearly all of the momentum with Wallingford. As a result most of the play was in the Maidenhead half and except for a couple of breaks by scrum half “Big” Dave Hunston which nearly resulted in a try for wing Bale Nasili, and one by Piers Morgan there was only one team who were going to score and that wasn’t Maidenhead.

However despite a nail biting last 10 minutes and a few swinging handbags, born more out of frustration on the part of both sides than anything else, the score remained at 19 – 12 to Maidenhead.

Written by David ‘The Pencil’ Anthony.

 
(Match statistics)