Match report courtesy of the

Saturday 1st December 2007

Maids have given themselves a mountain to climb this season. They showed they could well have the tools to scale it as they fought their way to a 13-12 victory at Old Patesians' Everest Road ground on Saturday.

Nothing has come easy this season, the conditions were atrocious, but Maids stood tall in the biting wind and got down and dirty in mud and the blood to scavenge a famous win in Cheltenham.

Returning to a ground, where two weeks ago they had been beaten 45-27 was always going to be a tough task. It was made even more daunting when Old Patesians, who were attacking up their famous slope, scored after only six minutes. Giles Potter offloading to prop Mark Peacey, fly half Rob Nock converted to put Old Pats 7-0.

But Maids found strength from somewhere to come storming back. The pack led by the magnificent Mark Mueller, began to exert some measure of control. It was from this platform that Maids got back into the game, Stuart Mackay bursting through the line before delivering an inside pass for centre Simon Swadling to touch down.

Fly half James McDonald fluffed the easy conversion, but it mattered not. Deego Arends continued Maids recovery five minutes later, collecting an interception, his second against Old Pats in as many games, to score a simple try and give Maids a 10-5 lead.

Mueller was now at his rampaging best, winning a penalty which was gobbled up by McDonald's boot. But Maids are finding nothing comes easy this season as prop Cormac O¹Byrne was sin-binned for persistent offside, but the pack rose to the challenge and held out until half-time.

Maids needed to hold out Old Pats who would now come charging down the slope. But a dysfunctional lineout due to poor throwing and skilful poaching, and tigerish Maids defence rebuffed the hosts again and again.

They came closest to getting through when a beautifully weighted clearance by Nock found winger Chris Howell a couple of yards from the goal-line but the ball was spilled as he slid over.

There was wave after wave of Old Pats attacks but stonewall defence coupled with some skilful clearance kicking by scrum half Simon Carter, kept them out.

With only eight minutes remaining Old Pats finally broke through. Nock's giant kick gave Howell a chance to chase this time he made no mistake and he swept over to bring the scores to 12-13. Nock had the chance to give Old Pats the lead for the first time in a hour, but Maids watched on in delight as his conversion sailed wide.

Old Patesians: Walton, Howell, Keen, Allen, Seager, Nock, Moore, Peacey, Davey, Chedzoy, Harvey (Shayle, 40), Evans, Hurdle, Potter, Pettigrew, Other replacements; Cape, Spry.

Maidenhead: Abrahams, Arends, Swaddling; M. Ruddick, Mackay, McDonald, Carter, Hoskins (Blackwell, 40), Craig, O'Byrne, Babich, Mueller, Gallina, Kertesz, Riley. Other replacements. Gull, Green.