SECOND TEAM PAY THE PRICE OF A SLOW START

By Hadee Fayaz

writes Jonathan Landi

Enfield Ignatians IIs 38 Hackney Club Side 54

The final result was a bit of wake-up call for the twos and, despite eventually rallying, they ultimately gave themselves too much to do against a fast-starting Hackney club side.

The damage was effectively done in the first 15 minutes when the East London side flew out of the blocks, and with the blue and golds nowhere to be seen, the visitors were soon 26-0 in front.

Belatedly finding their stride, Ignatians started to eat away at Hackney’s lead and two well taken efforts from flying winner, Eron Dottin-Wilson, proved to be the perfect pre-halftime tonic.

In the first instance, EDW squeezed in at the corner after Ignatians ran a quick tap penalty, before completing his brace after winning the footrace with his opposite number – and this after Paul Duke, spotting the Hackney winger out of position, floated a teasing kick behind the defence.

The second-half was very much a nip and tuck affair with both sides taking it in turns to score. Although Hackney with its strong ball carriers, plus lively fly-half and outside centre, always held the whip hand.

Ignatians were to add a further three tries to the ledger and former youth player, Ryan Browne, showing his lethal finishing qualities, also scored twice.

Invariably lethal once he breaks the first line of defence, the winger rounded his opposite number 30 metres out. He went on to provide Ignatians’ fifth and final try with a score of similar ilk.

In between, Ignatians, from ‘penalty advantage’ also prospered via Duke’s neat kick through which resulted in the alert Finlay MacKay pouncing for the score.

Duke converted four of his side’s tries and he said: “We got caught cold at the start and it would have been interesting to see what would have happened without the disastrous start.

“Both sides were predominantly made up of twos players, with a sprinkling of ones, and it was a good opportunity for those players that couldn’t make the Braintree trip, and notably Jordan Wilson, Ben Mills, Carl Asare-Anderson and Ryan Browne, to get some game time.

“Ultimately this was wake up call for and it shows that we need to fix a few things before the league starts on September 22. However, we have a game against Old Grammarians before then. Seyi Adeosun and Jacob were among our standout players."