Unbeaten run continues for 2s

Sandown kept their current good run going with a hard fought draw at Eastleigh on Saturday.

The Hurries travelled with a strong squad boosted by the inclusion of Tom Monks and Ricky Harris due to the first team game being called off at the last minute.

The game, just like the previous week against Winchester, started at a frantic pace with both sides keen to assert their authority in the early stages.

The first score came as centre Josh Wetherick latched on to a loose ball and showed good football skills to kick ahead and touch down under the posts, Lawrence Edmonston added the extra points.

Edmonston then kicked another two penalties but the home side responded well and pressured the visitors scoring a good try and also two penalties. Half time 13-11 to Sandown.

The first twenty minutes for the second half saw Eastleigh on top, coupled with the loss of Greg Dean for his customary ten minute rest allowing Eastleigh to squeeze ahead but Sandown responded with a well worked try from a line out from Greg Dean to bring themselves to within three points of the home side.

The remainder of the game was played out in the Eastleigh half and Sandown went close with first Dean then Tom Borrer and Arthur Buxton. The Hurries levelled with five minutes to go as Nick Heelan and WIGHTLINK man-of-the-match, skipper Martin McLaughlin, took the ball on and from the next phase, Dave Steele made a break and as Sandown were trying to get the ball out to the backs Eastleigh infringed allowing Edmonston to knock over a close range penalty to tie the scores.

The last few minutes was all Sandown with Gavin Boddrell, Monks and Michael Cooper all going close as the final whistle went a fair result between two evenly matched sides. This result made it nine games without defeat for Sandown, leaving them with four games and an outside chance of catching champions elect Winchester, who despite not being beaten at all in the early season have now lost their last two games.

TEAM: Steele, Tyas, McLaughlin, Heelan, C Perfect, Barrett, Buxton, Dean, Edmonston, Boddrell, M Keyworth, Cooper, Wetherick, Johnson, Lillington, Wiltshire, T Monks, Harris, Borrer.

Try: Wetherick, Dean
Conv: Edmonston
Pen: Edmonston (3)