Second best at Winchester

Sandown travelled to unbeaten leaders Winchester on Saturday trying to keep their current good run going but they knew they would be in for a tough game from the leagues in form side. Sandown were missing injured skipper Martin McLaughlin but welcomed back the influential Greg Dean and Nick Heelan.

Winchester hit the visitors hard from the first minute but they were met by resolute defence from Sandown, the first scores of the half came from two penalties for Winchester.

Sandown got in to their stride and came close with break aways from first Josh Wetherick, as he took a ball from the impressive BJ MEATS man-of-the-match Michael Cooper, Wethericks superb run was brought to an end just short of the home sides try line. Then similar breaks from Tom Monks and Tony Linnington again came to nothing as Winchester snuffed out the attacks.

Sandown got some good possession in their opponents twenty two and after good play from the forwards Chris and Steve Perfect took the ball on the referee blew for an infringement against Winchester. This allowed Lawrence Edmonston to close the scores with about twenty five minutes gone. This spurred Winchester on and their pressure told as they ran in two well worked tries before half time. Half time 18-3.

The second half started superbly for the Hurries as number eight Greg Dean broke from the back of the scrum and fed fly half Cooper and he fought off the attentions of the covering tacklers and raced in to score a superb individual try, Edmonston converted to bring the score to 18-10.

For the majority of the rest of the game Sandown were on the back foot as Winchester pressured the Sandown line, superb defence from WIGHTLINK man-of-the-match Arthur Buxton and Martin Keyworth stopped the home side in their tracks. On two occasions from what looked a certain try, young full back Tom Borrer pulled off last ditch covering tackles to keep the game within Sandowns reach.

Winchester used the conditions well and constantly pinned the Hurries in their own twenty two, from a catch and drive line out ten metres from the line Sandown came in from the side and the referee ran under the posts to award a penalty try. The Hurries never gave up but in the end were beaten by the stronger side on the day, but they can look forward to the return leg at the Fairway where they will try to gain their revenge over their rivals.

TEAM: S Perfect, Tyas, Steele, Heelan, C Perfect, Barrett, Buxton, Dean, Edmonston, Cooper, Linnington, Wetherick, Monks, Johnson, Borrer, S Kullick, M Keyworth.

Try: Cooper
Conv: Edmonston
Pen: Edmonston