The home side startled the visitors in the opening gambits as Tommy Newell was released down the right and took play 5metres out from the Chippy line. The ball was quickly recycled and Gosford
lock Max Burbidge made yardage towards the line and when halted the movement was carried forward by prop Callum Thompson who was bundled over to score a well deserved try. Tim Ellis hit over a neat conversion and put the home side in the driving seat (7-0) A stunned Chippy side soon started to unleash their fire power and the equalising try
came through good work by scrum half Matty Taylor with Barry Nutt
kicking the conversion.(7-7) Then Chippy mounted a twenty minute seige
within the Gosford half but the determination and organisation of the
Gosford defence was exceptional with back rowers Dan Hughes, Andy
Dubowski and Ian Mason putting in some dedicated hits plus all of the
back line. On thirty five minutes Chippy`s excellent No 8 Matt Dawson
broke from the back of a scrum 35metres out and made a speedy blindside
break to force the visitors ahead at half time (7-12)

The second half opened with a well worked move by the Gosford forwards
as tight head prop Tony Baughan made ground and from the resultant ruck scrum half Tim Sutton sent out a long pass to Harry Sutton with centre Bill Smith on hand to send winger Tommy Newell blistering around his opposite number to score and level the scores at (12-12) The referee shortly afterwards showed Chippy scrum half Matty Taylor and Gosford winger Tommy Newell yellow cards for an alleged bewildering altercation. Chippy took their chance as they attacked down the absent Newell`s flank
and George Wilkinson forced his way through for an unconverted try.(12-
17) Gosford were slightly mesmerised when the official penalised Luke Burbidge and Chippy`s Barry Nutt extended their lead with the penalty.(12-20) A gutsy Gosford now back at full strength saw Tommy Newell sprint away from 40metres out and when tackled cleverly slipped the ball to the supporting Harry Sutton to score wide out (17-20) The clock was now against a Gosford revival as they showed great effort to overhaul the visitors but unfortunately the final whistle blew too soon and Gosford could only be consoled with winning a bonus point. Although Gosford were narrowly defeated the whole side showed that better times are ahead but on a day when the stronger Chippy pack caused problems in the set pieces it was only the guile of the Gosford scrum half Tim Sutton that counteracted this difficult situation as he kept sending
out streams of passes and reverse passes albeit behind a wheeling pack.
Tim Sutton made a tremendous contribution to this match.

My Man of the Match Tim Sutton - NEVER STOPPED WORKING

Forward of the Match: Dan Hughes - PUT HIS BODY ON THE LINE AT ALL
TIMES.


Mike Rhymes

GABRFC UPB