Buckingham 10 Olney 25.

Report by Eric Curtis

Buckingham 10 Olney 25.
Buckingham made what can only described as a disasterous start to 2012 losing at home to bottom of the league strugglers Olney on Saturday. The visitors ironically have only one won one game beating Buckingham comfortably on the first league Saturday of the season.
This defeat makes Buckinghams tenure in the South West One East League looking more and more difficult particularly as the two teams above them Swanage and Reading Abbey both won..
The game itself could and should have been won, the industrious Buckingham forwards though missing injured skipper Tom Amos won more than enough ball to ensure victory, but prolems behind the scrum sadly tipped the result Olneys way.
Already missing Hulston and Lee with long term injuries, the absense of senior three-quarters who chose to be unavailible raises questions about their committment to the club at this difficult time..
Olney kicked off and though Buckingham got into a good position with a lineout well in the Olney half the ball was lost and Olney quickly ran through some weak defence to score after only three minutes.
Bucking made inroads through the center with some powerful running by young Stuart Craker, but inevitably the ball was lost when control was all that was needed for a try.
As the game moved into the end of the first quarter Buckingam got on to the scoreboard with a penalty though missing two more that would have put them infront..However it soon became apparent that their young backs not only lacked good ball retention but the inability to dominate an Olney side who looked a bottom of the league side.
Though spending the last fifteen minutes of the half camped in the Olney twenty-two there were no further scores, leaving Buckinham with it all to do.
Added to this Buckinghams game was littered with penalties conceeding nineteen in total sadly the marjority in attacking situations so things got worse in the second half.
With less than fifteen minutes played possession was lost allowing Olney to score a converted try to go 12-3 infront.Buckingham responded with a promising attack with Olney being penalised for a late tackle twenty metres from their line.Again Buckingham contrived to lose the ball and the visitors surged to the other end picking up another three points witha penalty.Again the Buckingham forwards got themselves upfield, but possession was lost with the line beckoning and the visitors right wing scampered away to score
Buckingham finaly scored after more good work by the forwards when Adam Whiter went over, the coversion making it 20-10 and giving a ray of hpoe to the deflated home support, but the inability to retain possession surfaced once again and Olney closed the game down with another try and must wish that they played Buckingham every week.