U13s thumping performance against powerful Thurrock

Maidenhead U13s 42 Thurrock U13s 10

Sunday 17th December 2000

Maidenhead U13s faced a very powerful and hard-running Thurrock team last Sunday at Braywick and delighted their coaches and supporters with a typically all-action and courageous display which brought a thumping 42-10 victory. It showed how far Maidenhead have progressed this season in all respects.

Maidenhead were able to give all of their available squad a game and it was the excellent performances of players like Chris Lennox, Tristan Wray, Andrew Foot and Drew Allen and Chris Richardson which was particularly gratifying. They all joined the match in the second half and were part of some of the most dynamic rugby the team has ever produced.

Despite the evidence of the scoreline, Maidenhead were under massive pressure in defence from the big Thurrock backs and yet the scrambling defence of Tom Lewis and the backs was exemplary. Both Alastair Bruce and Sam Stefan were masterly controllers in their stints at fly-half and both Christopher Parrott and Patrick McSweeney were conspicuous in helping ward off the early Thurrock assaults.

As so often this season, the scoring hero was Tom Kay, the strong-running No 8. Kay scored four excellent tries, two from devastating solo runs. It was Kay who  opened the scoring for Maids after early Thurrock pressure. Bruce kept his head brilliantly as he hacked the ball on for the second and a splendid Maidenhead counter-attack led to a try by Luke Knowles near half time, with flanker Knowles showing the pace and footballing ability of a centre.  Bruce kicked two conversions and with Thurrock held to a single try, it was 19-5 to Maidenhead at half-time.

Thurrock did bring it back to 19-10 with an excellent try but the rest of the match belonged to Maidenhead. Joe Thomas, the second row, made a typical burst for the next try. Kay rampaged away for his second. Ollie Styles poached a try after Maidenhead's front row secured a heel against the head and then Kay scored again after approach work by Wray, Andrew Jones and Tom Plumer. Kay scored his fourth try towards the end to round off a spectacular individual effort. However, the truth is that the team spirit and hard work of every member of a maturing team was excellent.