Maidenhead Colts
31 v Aylesbury Colts 7
Sunday 4th December 2005
Maidenhead Colts cemented their place at the top of the BBO League despite a long injury list, when they beat Aylesbury by 31-7 at Braywick. The good news is that the squad strength proved equal to the task against a very fine Aylesbury team, who came on stronger and stronger as the match progressed and who played it hard and fair.
The other good news is that all the Maids injury victims are expected to be fit and firing for the next match, against Amersham & Chiltern at Braywick on Sunday, giving head coach Gordon Macdonald a full squad to choose from for a game that Maids have targeted for a major performance uplift.
The key to Maids’ victory over Aylesbury was a storming start, which saw them surge into a 24-0 lead well before half-time. Maids then gave all their 22-man match squad a run. Maids’ discipline was excellent, everywhere from Alex Cannon at full-back to big Ben Tucker up front. Tucker, the captain of Reading Bluecoat school, was making his first appearance of the season.
Simon Standfast , Matt Wardle and Olly Styles were superb behind the scrum, Karl Kempton and Tom Plumer were in powerful form up front and Drew Jones showed some of his true form at lock. But when Maids were on form in the first half, it was churlish to single out individuals, and some of the combinations between backs and forwards were remarkable.
Kempton began the scoring with a devastating finishing burst, which scattered defenders. Wardle then popped up to finish a brilliant move began from defence and featuring an unstoppable burst up the midfield by Wasps Academy lock, Plumer.
The next try was the best. Cannon attacked from deep, Jones took the ball on and dazzling pace and handling sent Adam Dean over in the corner. Wardle scored again after another Cannon run and good support by Andrew Mitchell, the No 8. David Hodgson kicked two conversions.
In the second half, Aylesbury lifted themselves and scored a try that was well-deserved, given the pressure they were able to exert. Their No 8, one of the players of the match, drove over from a scrum. Olly Styles completed the scoring with a dummy and a long diagonal run full of pace and guile, with Chris Richardson drawing defenders outside with a selfless supporting run. Hodgson kicked a superb goal from the touchline.
Maids squad:
Cannon, Dean, Hodgson, Standfast(c), Wardle, Styles, Stefan; Tucker, Ouston,
Corcoran, Jones, Plumer, Batten, Kempton, Mitchell. Subs: Adam, Richardson,
Christian, Hanks, Johnson, Morgan, Shearer.
