Maidenhead 35 - Swanage & Wareham 17
Apr
In Swanage & Wareham last league game of the season, the club travelled to promotion chasing Maidenhead, and after a brilliant first half Swans succumbed in the second half as the home side ran in five tries.
As expected it was a very competitive game, with Swans doing most of the pressing as they kept the ball in amongst the forwards, and using the three-quarters to gain a substantial amount of ground. There was no score for the first thirty minutes but Swans produced a ruck close to the Maidenhead line, the visitors secured a penalty which fly half Phil Graves put over 0 – 3. Maidenhead then put Swans under pressure, but from a ruck the ball came clear, a Swans kick into the Maidenhead 22 had centre Charlie Parish winning the chase for the ball to score under the posts. Phil Graves added the extras 0 – 10 at half time.
Swans started the second half as they played in the first half, but ten minutes into the half the home sides centre Clayton Panga worked his way over the Swans try line for a converted try 7 – 10. Swans seemed to go off the boil and started to make mistakes and on 54 minutes such an error allowed Maidenhead full back Philip Norman to score. 14 – 10. On the hour mark a good break by the hosts had winger Simon Cripps running round to score under the posts for a 21 – 10 lead. Swans replied after 73 minutes with a catch /drive move scored by captain and hooker Robert Elford which Phil Graves converted. 21 – 17. That was as close as Swans came as in the last two minutes Simon Cripps scored his second try and with the last play of the game scrum half Elliott Brown crossed Swans line giving Maidenhead the victory by 35pts to 17pts.
Swans team:- P.Dunsford, C.Rowberry, C.Parish, D.Wilcox, J.Chadwick, P.Graves, C.Tomes, J.Sheldrake, R.Elford, O.Andrews(T.Frampton 67), D.Burgess, D.Penney, J.Maginn, J.Warren(J.Hornby 64),A.Lewis J.Harris.
OTHER RESULTS
Swanage & Wareham 2nd XV 7pts Blandford 1st XV 34pts league D/W1(S)
South Wilts 1st XV 20pts Swanage & Wareham 3rd XV 27pts league D/W2(S)
Bournemouth 4th XV 19pts Swanage & Wareham 4th XV 39pts league D/W3(S)
GAMES NEXT WEEK – 23rd April -no game as it is Easter week- end
