Late Winner for Hurries

All sides that played Saturday experienced the gale conditions. The rain held off, but the wind blew from end to end on the hosts pitch. The hosts immediately applied the pressure with the Hurries 'camped' in their own 22, breaking out occasionally with the boot of WIGHTLINK man of the match Charlie Sutton.

The host’s game plan was to pin the Hurries back with long kicks into touch and hope for mistakes. Hurries defence held out for 25 minute s then a missed tackle let the hosts in for a converted try, 7-0. Soon after from a midfield lineout, another missed tackle gave the hosts another converted try, 14-0. Right up to the whistle Hurries were defending their line.

Second half kicked off and the Hurries immediately returned the pressure. The hosts tried pick and drive to move up the field but were turned over time and time again by the superb Hurries pack. The back row of Tolley, Carey and captain Joe Rees were on fire. Joe Rees went on one of his 'charges' near the line and finally broke the defence scoring under the posts, converted by Alex Howard, 14-7.

Chandler went blind from a close in ruck but was bundled into touch on the corner flag; both Baxendall and Eldridge got close but were held up. Then near to the end of normal time, the hosts lost their discipline and after four close in penalties Rees opted instead for a scrum, Sam Tolley duly picked up from the base and barged through for the try, converted again by Howard, 14-14. Two minutes later after a series of close in rucks, VIKOMA man of the match Luke Hunter was brought down just short of the line but managed to feed Ryan Carey who scored the winning unconverted try. FINAL SCORE 14-19.

Hurries from; Howard, Chandler, Robinson, Baxendall, Muir, Sutton, Booth, Harris, Thomas, Skelly, J & S Rees, Hunter, Tolley, Carey, Eldridge, Gough, Edmunds.

Report by Geoff Giles