Maidenhead beat Olney in one way tie
Aware of the result when Olney last visited the league leaders, and fielding a side with eight changes (2 positional) from the previous week, the vibes in the Olney side were somewhat down beat. The home side ran out with their anticipated 'sprinkling' of southern hemisphere performers. and it looked like the writing was on the wall.
The expectancy was very soon fulfilled, immediately following the kick off by the home side the ball was juggled by two Olney players and from the ensuing ruck Maidenhead won the ball and sent it down the line for a try in the corner. The conversion by the No 10 was successful 7 - nil after 1 min. At the restart the kick didn't get over the 10m. line giving the home side a scrum on the centre spot. Olney were awarded a penalty for not releasing following a tackle. The following play was interrupted by a series of knock ons and Olney were under pressure in their own half. A long kick outside the 22 went straight into touch, the line out for Maidenhead, back to where the kick was taken, resulted in another Maidenhead attack and the stand- off scoring a try which he failed to convert. Olney were awarded a free kick quickly followed by a penalty, giving them their first foray into Maidenhead territory. Another penalty for the Maidenhead being offside and Olney had a line out in the Home side's 22. Maidenhead were then awarded successive scrums and their No. 8 made a breakaway resulting in an unconverted try. The score after 25 mins. 17 - 0. Yet another penalty awarded to the home side gave them the opportunity to run in another try, this time converted and the score on the half hour was 31 - 0. Maidenhead were on a roll and their supporters were baying for blood. Five more minutes and they were rewarded, another try, converted, score 38 - 0.
Olney now, somehow, pulled themselves together and the home side started to make mistakes. The visitors were awarded a penalty when the Maidenhead scrum half was penalised for interfering at a scrum. The Olney pack made ground driving the ball with all eight effectively engaged.
Half Time.
The second half resumed and Olney were back on the attack, All the back row with Mo Ormisher and Jack Sutton were making their presence felt. Maidenhead were showing lack of discipline, they lost a player yellow carded for a spear tackle, and were repeatedly penalised. Another Maidenhead player was yellow carded for preventing Alan Kelsall releasing the ball from a maul. Olney were now putting on the pressure and found themselves facing an opposition of 11 men for a brief period, when the home side had two more players sin binned. The Olney pack took advantage and scored a push over try, touched down by Scot Walker. The conversion was missed and the home "crowd" showed their 'sportsmanship' by cheering the kicker!
Maidenhead from a penalty on their 10m. found touch in the visitor's 22 and from the line out scored a try by their No.6, which was converted. They followed this when Olney failed to clear from their own in goal area with a gifted try, not converted.
Olney continued to take the game to Maidenhead and a great break by Mark Marwood was stopped just short of the line. There was good support from the backs who recycled the offload for James Hannah to run round and score under the posts, Kev Smith converted.
Maidenhead had become more ragged in the final stages of the game and missed two chances, knocking on and dropping the ball with the line at their mercy. The final score,
50 - 12 definitely reflected a game of two halves and Olney did well to perform in the second half when no player let the side down. The young players who came in to make up the side, and those recently back following long absence due to injury acquitted themselves well.
Team: Mo. Ormisher, Alan Kelsall, David Rainbow, Steve Harrison, Jack Sutton,
John Robinson, Scot Walker, George Stanton, Sam Skingsley, Mark Marwood
Cameron Byrne, Kev Smith, Chris Parnham (capt.) James Padfield, James Hannah
Subs. O. Brackenbury, S. Whiting.
