Clacton v Braintree 19/09/15

Clacton 12 - 26 Braintree

Braintree's first game of the campaign in Essex1 saw them travel away to Clacton for a tricky looking fixture.
The Black and Ambers looked a bit nervous in the opening exchanges and were very quiet against a huge home team and came under enormous pressure early on. Scrums and line outs proved difficult against a much bigger pack and being starved of possession it was all defence to start with.
Clacton won a penalty after 4 minutes, but the resulting kick was missed. However the pressure was relentless with the home side really getting their tails up.
The lid came off the pressure cooker after 16 minutes when Tree turned over possession on their own 5m line and fly half Joss Adams broke out, skipping through Clacton players and outstripping defenders to run the whole length of the pitch to score a magnificent solo effort. This was successfully converted by Kyle Crush.
Tree were still under the cosh, but the huge Clacton pack were obviously slowing and some parity in the Scrums was coming. Tree gained a penalty just in the opposition half on 26 minutes and a quick tap saw the ball through the hands for centre George Crane to score out wide. Again this was successfully converted by Crush.
Clacton managed a period of sustained pressure and were duly rewarded with a try on 33 minutes from their hooker Tom Cox. This effort was successfully Converted by Jake Buxey. At the end of the half Tree lost their kicker Crush to a yellow card for a high tackle, This seemed a little harsh as a Clacton player escaped with a warning for a very similar offence.

At half time the score was 7 - 14

It the second half it soon became clear that with ball out to backs Tree would have the ability to score and after 53 minutes another penalty for Tree was taken Quickly and after some phases of ball retention for the visitors. Full back Tom Drew found the ball in his hands and there was no stopping him scoring in the corner. Crush then carried on his fine day with the boot with a fantastic conversion from the touch line.
Five minutes later and Crush was again on the score sheet, this time a try to gain Braintree a 4 try bonus point, however he missed the conversion.
Clacton made the score line a bit more respectable with a try from Aaron Redpath on 66 minutes.
Both sides had a player in the bin in the second half and Crush missed a penalty late in the game but by then the result was not in doubt and Tree returned home with all the spoils.

Next week sees a home game against Millwall 2pm KO