Match report courtesy of the

Saturday 27th October 2007

MAIDENHEAD rolled up their sleeves and produced an attritional display of rugby to snatch a nailbiting 6-5 victory at St Ives on Saturday. According to coach Simon Edwards conditions couldn't have been worse, especially against a very large home pack. He said: "We got to the ground and a gale was coming straight off the sea, straight down the pitch. You couldn't kick the ball forward, it just kept coming back. We had the wind behind us at the break and were only 3-0 up, and to be honest I didn't think it was enough."

Edwards added: "From the restart we were camped in our 22 for 20 minutes. And most of that was spent in the last 10. But the guys laid their bodies on the line and tackled everything. It was an excellent performance in the conditions."

The match was then held up for 30 minutes after a neck injury to a St Ives player - which turned out not to be serious. Edwards thought that this could have helped the bigger, less mobile hosts, but as it proved, Maids grabbed the next score. He said: "We hacked the ball downfield, and were awarded a penalty for a foul in the ruck. For the second time in the match, Warren Abraham kicked well, which believe me in the conditions was tough. He also hit the post with an earlier attempt. I didn't even know he could kick until last week!"

The match then underwent a final twist when the hosts scored a touchdown in the corner in the final minute, but were unsuccessful with the conversion. The kick would have won them the match. Maids held on to the win, and the points, for what Edwards called an incredibly important win in a league where everyone seems capable of beating everyone else.

On Saturday, Maids entertain Weston-super-Mare at Braywick, kick-off 2.30pm. Matches between these teams are always close, and Edwards expects this to be no different. He said: "Weston have just beaten Cleve, and are always a strong side with tidy players in key positions."It'll be a tough one, but one I want to win. We need to win our home matches and build Braywick into a fortress. It's great winning away from home, but I'm not as happy with that."

Edwards expects to pick from a near fully fit squad, bolstered this week by the arrival of another South African - Diego Marshallo. The back - who is thought to be extremely quick - is a friend of Abraham and will probably start the match on the bench.