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U14s bypassed by Newbury Maidenhead
U14s 13 v Newbury U14s 33 |
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Maids put in a battling performance but couldn't match a formidable Newbury side, the reigning Berkshire champions boasting a sizeable squad bristling with County players. The boot of James Brooks and an awesome run three-quarters of the length of the pitch by Centre Thomas Simpson gave Maids their points. This was a crucial game to win for whichever club aspires to the Under 14 County crown this season. Not surprisingly, the match followed the formbook. It's hard to see how any team will get the better of a Newbury, although for long periods Maids gave as good as they got in terms of passing and tackling. Two quick breaks by Newbury's well-organised backs put the visitors 14.0 ahead early on. Maids stood their ground and pinned Newbury back with good attacking play, but they couldn't find the finishing touches and were dispossessed too often in the rucks and mauls. A strong wind meant most lineouts were penalised by the referee for not going straight. A positive build-up of pressure earned a penalty within sight of the posts and the trusty boot of Fly Half James Brooks pulled back three points. As Maids began to see more of the ball they started to string together their passes. The ball was ripped in the maul and fed to Thomas in space out wide. The only challenge was being deep in his own half. Undaunted, he showed a clean pair of heels to half the Newbury team, pacing his run to dodge tackles and end up under the posts. James landed the conversion. In the Forwards, Connor Murphy and Chris Withers stood their ground, with Centre James Parrott linking well with wingers Oliver Evans and George Kirk. Newbury scored twice more before another Brooks penalty for Maids. Solid defending from Hooker Josh Turvey and Number Eight Ben Pritchard kept Newbury at bay. Full Back Michael Habgood and Winger George Kirk put in a lot of legwork as Maids tried to break through but Newbury were quick to smother their attacks. During a more evenly-matched second half the only try went to the visitors as they again broke at speed and created overlaps on the wing. This was another encouraging performance against a very well-drilled side. Tries: Cons: Penalties: Squad: |