OWs move up table after win

Walcountians made heavy weather of the first half where, despite destroying Croydon’s scrum in the set pieces, they failed to take advantage of possession and they allowed the visitors back into the game by conceding a string of penalties.

Fly-half Tom Harrison gave Walcountians the lead after 13 minutes with a well-struck penalty, but it was not until ten minutes from the break that Walcountians at last strung together a coherent move. Flanker Joe Henderson broke from a ruck close to the Croydon 22 metre line and put away the threequarters to find winger Dharshan Vadivelu, who fended off an attempted tackle and rounded the remaining Croydon defence to touch down for a try converted by Tom Harrison.

The second half saw a much more purposeful display from Walcountians. Particularly impressive were hooker Rob Fleming who turned over possession at several rucks and fly-half Tom Harrison who opened up an increasingly creaky Croydon defence.

It took the Old Boys just a minute of the second half to extend their lead. Once again, Joe Henderson started the move by breaking from his own 22 and found winger Chris Drinkwater in support to draw the Croydon defence, from which he slipped the ball inside to centre Joe Wright who outpaced the remaining Croydon defenders to touch down.

Scrum-half James Henderson scored Walcountians’ third try of the day in the 19th minute when he broke down the blind side of a ruck to touch down and, in the 35th minute, Walcountians sealed victory plus a bonus point when replacement winger Marvin Fletcher-Rogers burned off the Croydon defence with his scorching pace to finish a move started by a counter-attack by full-back Ollie Beales which was supported by energetic lock Simon Fowler.

Walcountians now stand sixth in Surrey League 2. Their next League match is on 6 December against leaders Old Freemen’s.
Old Walcountians:- Beales, Vadivelu, Wright, Stone, Drinkwater, Harrison, Henderson (James), Raynor, Fleming, Cowlin, Bell, Fowler, Brown, Henderson (Joe), Baker

Subs:- Evans, Fletcher-Rogers, Housden.