Match report and photo courtesy of the

Maids result adds insult to injuries

Maidenhead’s run of bad luck with serious injuries to key players proved too much for them when they visited lower placed Clevedon. With full-back Rob Hawkins breaking his leg in training, and the absences of Will Lowdon (shoulder) Alex Greer (shoulder), and Johannes Vorster (knee) putting considerable strain on selection, Maids defied the odds for the first 15 minutes of the game.

They won good quick loose ball and ran it impressively from wing to wing with strong runners Jonny Hammond and Simon Cripps proving a handful for the home defence. After two minutes play Sam Hocking was given the ball with very little room, but made an excellent break down the wing only to sustain a serious leg injury in a heavy tackle. Back row man Piers Morgan came on for Hocking and Maids continued to dominate the early play. Excellent passing and handling by the backs was somehow contained by the home defence, but Mark Ruddick put a delicate chip over the defence which bounced perfectly for Cripps to open the scoring with an unconverted try.

Skipper Ruddick then ignored a penalty under the posts preferring to kick for the corner which produced the required result when Morgan crashed over for an excellent try from the ensuing maul, converted by Ruddick. With the Cleveland supporters facing a 30-40 point drubbing from this impressive beginning, the home side opened their scoring with an enterprising counter-attack from a missed touch and with the ball passing through many pairs of hands finally putting winger Cates over in the corner for an unconverted try. Clevedon levelled the scores with another good handling movement with a try by Bastrell converted by Hawkes. Winger Danny Martin then put the visitors’ resources under more pressure when he fell awkwardly on his suspect knee to be replaced by Paul Burns having his first outing of the season, and the Maids defence, with Hammond at half-pace nursing a niggly knee problem, under severe difficulty.

However a long penalty to the corner and a good catch by Alex Gallina regained the lead for Maids with a rolling maul try finished off again by Morgan. Immediately before half-time Clevedon scored a good three-quarter try finished off by flanker Barns, converted by Hawkes, to lead 19-17. With both props, George Blackwell and Dave Johnston nursing leg injuries and Stuart McKay moving to full-back, Maids’ efforts to contain Cleveland, who sensed they were playing a side of walking wounded, were under strain. A loose ball in the Cleveland half was snapped up by a home defender who regathered a high up-and-under and fed flanker Shopland who went over over for an opportunist try converted by Hawkes.

Ruddick reduced the arrears with a penalty, but the sure-handling and straight running by the Cleveland backs created another try by centre Thie who burst through the injury-ridden visitors’ defence to take the score to 31-20. Gallina, back from injury, was having a good game in the lineout, but home fly-half Hawkes kicked well in defence to drive the visitors back and from an ensuing attack in the Maids 22, McKay was forced to concede a penalty with a deliberate knock-on. Tim Grove replaced the struggling Johnston in the front row, but shortly afterwards the home No.8 McMillan forced his way over for an unconverted try.

Cleveland were clearly gaining in confidence and made every attack count with excellent handling and support for the man with the ball – it was one of those days when they found it more difficult to drop the ball than catch it and every overhead and one handed pass was taken. Ben Ayres, Mark Mueller and Gallina were the pick of the visitors and Morgan and McKay, although out of position, were dangerous with the ball in hand. Cleveland scored again with a surprise clean catch and break by Shopland through the lineout converted by Hawes, and the home side were now running everything and realising it was their day. Full-back Lowis was causing problems by coming into the line and initiated the final score with an unconverted try in the corner to give the home side victory by 51-20.

With a frightening number of senior players not starting and a number who are playing with niggardly injuries, particularly in the backs, coach Simon Edwards will be forced to re-examine and juggle his resources. Nothing new there and Maids have a habit of bouncing back when the chips are really down. Man of the match: Alex Gallina.

Edwards takes blame for loss
After Maidenhead’s 51-20 defeat at lowly Clevedon on Saturday, coach Simon Edwards blamed injuries and himself for the one-sided drubbing. He said: "It was my fault, I hold my hands up. We were not prepared correctly and had the wrong bench. "But basically what could have gone wrong, did go wrong before and during the match." On Thursday full-back and kicker Rob Hawkins broke his leg and ankle in a freak training ground accident involving forwards coach Allan Greene. Then, with a reduced squad and lack of backs cover on the bench, both Danny Martin and Sam Hocking came off injured. This left second rower Paul Burns and No.8 Piers Morgan to play on the wings. This proved crucial. Edwards said: "We were 12-0 up and cruising before the injuries. Then we were vulnerable out wide. They just ran around us." And worse for Edwards is the news that the injuries sustained are long term. He said: "Hocking has severed his cruciate and is out for the season. Martin is seeing a specialist to see if he has ligament or cartilage damage. "Hawkins is in hospital this week having screws put in his leg. "We are in disarray at the moment. I’m just trying to put the best 15 players on the pitch I can. "Gareth Edwards is coming back from Loughbor- ough to play at scrum-half and Ben Ayres will move to full-back, but I don’t want to give too much away. "But we are a wounded animal, so bring on Abbey." The league match at Braywick on Saturday, kick-off 3pm, should prove enthralling and a classic local derby. Edwards said: "We are wounded, but so are they. Having started the season well, they were outclassed 74-6 by Clifton last week, so will be looking to put that behind them. "The matches between us are always lively and I expect this to be no different. "They have a few new faces who I don’t know, so I’m not sure exactly what to expect. "They will start as favourites because they have a full strength squad to choose from, but this time we’ll be prepared."