Match report courtesy of the

Saturday 20th October 2007

Maidenhead gave themselves a 20-point mountain to climb in the second half against Oxford Harlequins at Braywick on Saturday, and despite a remarkable comeback they fell just short. Maids won the second half 26-10, but it was sloppy play in the backs leading to soft tries in the first half which ultimately determined the result of this match - Maids' fourth defeat of the season.

Quins came to play their normal attacking game in the backs, but seemed to be stronger in the pack than usual and particularly in the tight which put Maids under pressure with locks Payne and Eckert and No.8 Soper in good form. Poor defensive alignment and bad passing in the backs allowed visitors' wing Johnson to make ground and give Quins a chance for a penalty in front, converted by Jones to open the scoring. Flanker Rowe then scored unmolested under the posts to give Quins a 10-0 lead.

Maids were winning plenty of lineout ball with pinpoint throwing by hooker Richie Craig, and from a superb take by No.8 Greg Riley, Maids opened their account with a good try from the ensuing rolling maul, but the easy conversion was missed. With centres Simon Cripps and Stuart Mackay showing their individual skills, more suited to their normal play as wingers, the Maids back line never functioned as a smooth unit and Cripps' bullocking efforts to get through the middle were in the main contained by brave tackling.

A speculative kick ahead by fly-half Jones was fielded by full-back Warren Abraham who in trying to run the ball out of trouble presented flanker Alcock with the easiest of tries converted by Jones. The game got worse for Maids when in trying to clear pressure on their line, a poor relieving kick presented the Quins with another gift of a try. Quins increased their lead to 25-5 when a foolish penalty for refusing to release the ball after the whistle had gone was converted by Jones to give Maids an uphill challenge.

After the break, although Quins were more than holding their own in the tight, all the Maids forwards had their moments in the loose with Mark Mueller, Roko Babich and Alex Gallina running well and Nick Kertesz having his best game of the season in the back row. Maids suffered from their lack of a goal-kicker by having to refuse kickable penalties, which keeps the scoreboard ticking over, and left them having to rely on tries. However after good approach work by Mark Ruddick, Cripps and Mackay, the ball was worked back to Abraham who showed his class by scoring an excellent try from nothing converted by Ruddick.

But Quins soon replied with a try by flanker Rowe after a switch by Quins found no one at home in the Maids defence, and another long range try by the visitors right wing after a good break by Wilson in the centre. Maids came back when a long rolling maul was continued by Ruddick, Cripps and Mackay who found Abraham appearing at speed to score the best try of the game to bring Maids to 35-17.

Meanwhile man of the match Riley had to go off after sterling work in the front row for Dave Gull to come on. Maids were almost back in the game and Alex Greer increased home hopes when he fielded a high ball and threaded his way through to create a try for Tony Young in the corner, superbly converted by Ruddick. Alex Cannon came on for Abraham, but with time running out Greer again sliced through the visitors¹ defence and made another try for Young under the posts converted by Ruddick to take Maids to within four points before they ran out of time.

Their spirited second half fightback will leave Maids with teeth gnashing at the gifted tries of the first half which lost them a game which could have been comfortably won.