Match report and picture courtesy of the

Maids fail to bridge the gap with Clifton

A BELOW standard performance from both Maidenhead and the referee combined to ensure Clifton were never tested in a frustrating and tepid clash at Braywick on Saturday.

Maids came into the match on the back of dream form and with revenge on their minds after the 54-0 dismantling they suffered in Bristol in the reverse fixture. However, the hosts never reached their best, and on occasions drifted back to their worst. This was largely due to a Clifton defence which never allowed Maids’ backs time or space, and gave them a lesson in precision passing, and first-up tackling.

In addition to Maids’ disappointing showing, was a poor interpretation of the laws by the referee. While his actions alone did not make the difference between winning and losing for Maids, his poorly judged decisions did seem to affect, and be directed at, the hosts more frequently than Clifton. By the final whistle, his inept decisions constantly left spectators and coaching staff on both sides laughing, while the overworked referees’ assessor in the stand almost ran out of assessment form pages on his clipboard.

But to focus on the referee would take away from a solid display by Clifton who showed the difference between being a top three team and a top five team. Yet this much anticipated clash started evenly with Maids winning ball against the throw in the lineouts and generally holding their own. Clifton took the lead from a 25 metre penalty from fly-half John Barnes, but his opposite number Mark Ruddick had the chance to level proceedings soon after, but a nervy effort against a strong wind was scuffed.

From this point Maids struggled to get an attacking foothold and found themselves under pressure. They eventually cracked, missing some elementary tackles, to allow Andy Bell in for the first touchdown of the match. Barnes converted for 10-0 after 16 minutes. Four minutes later it was 20-0 – and effectively game over – when an inside pass unlocked Maids’ midfield for Carwyn James to stroll over. Barnes again converted. To Maids’ credit, although on the backfoot, they were never overrun, and were not breached again for another 47 minutes . Before this, Joe Plamus did notch five points for the hosts when, from a quickly taken tap penalty, the fullback scooped up a loose ball to finish well. Ruddick missed the conversion.

The second half was more of a stalemate, which suited Clifton, during which the visitors bagged another couple of touchdowns, through Sam Kent and Bell again. Maids grabbed a consolation effort with 12 minutes remaining, again from Plamus and again from a quick tap penalty, but it did little to lighten the disheartening mood. Maids had come up against a solid, well prepared team with a simple no-nonsense, gameplan, who never allowed the hosts’ attacking options to be more than a cursory threat. This match was always billed as a test for Maids and it was one from which their efforts will have earned them a C+.

Maidenhead: Plamus, Mackay, Hammond, Cripps, Walton, Ruddick, Edwards, Riley, Craig, Johnston, Gallina, Mueller, Lowden, Jones, Lynch. Subs: Parkhouse (for Jones, 52), Blackwell (for Johnston, 78), Ellwood (not used).
Clifton: Voil, Bell, James, B Kent, S Kent, Barnes, Frost, Blake, Mace, Shortman, Cox, Kempton, Trump, Steetskamp, Smith. Moussa, Hardy, Lloyd.

Coach Edwards accepts Maids were second best
Maidenhead were hugely disappointing at home to Clifton on Saturday, an assessment coach Simon Edwards was first to admit. He said: "It was one of our worst decision-making days this season. "We played the ball from deep when we had the wind, but when they had it behind them they played for territory and in our half. "Also we never showed up in the rucks and mauls. "They always produced quicker ball which enabled them to run at a disorganised defence. "We were the opposite, we ran slow ball at an organised defence."

He added: "We matched them in the scrum and lineout, but it was disappointing not to be at our best against a good team like Clifton." Ironically, Maids excellent form against some average teams coming into the clash may have contributed to their downfall. Edwards explains: "Clifton were hungrier and sharper. Probably in hindsight, the last five games hasn’t done us any favours "We’ve slowed down because we could against poorer opposition. "We need to work harder at the breakdowns, as they did and sharpen up the defence."

However, Edwards also vented some frustration towards the match official, saying: "Our performance was poor, but the ref’s was awful. "We never seemed to get the decision on the 50/50s and the players found that very frustrating. "A good ref is one you don’t know is there – not something you could say about this one." Edwards is now looking to tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) clash at sixth-placed Chippenham. He said: "Chippenham is a big game for us. We need to bounce back unless we want our season to deteriorate before our eyes. "They will be targeting this as a must win, and we will have to be at our best. It’ll be interesting to see how we respond."

Maids No.8 Paul Jones is out for the remainder of the season after dislocating his collar bone against Clifton.