Maids Bridg great divide (04.12.04)

AN HEROIC and committed performance carried Maids to a stunning win over former title-challengers Bridgwater on Saturday.
The Somerset side had been scoring for fun in recent weeks, their two latest results being a 62-3 win over Keynsham, and the 76-19 trouncing of Gloucester Old Boys.
Wary of taking a hiding, Maidenhead coach Simon Edwards adjusted his tactics to try and limit the damage.
However, after an early blip, his side exceeded all expectations and battled their way to an unexpected but fully deserved victory.
An inauspicious start saw the visitors open the scoring in less than a minute, when Ben Norris charged down Ben Ayres’ clearance kick, resulting in an unconverted try for hooker Matt Hastie.
But Maids hit straight back, when a bullocking run from lock Mark Mueller was halted by foul play, allowing fullback Rob Hawkins to bisect the posts with the resulting penalty.
Bridgwater flyhalf Andy George replied with a copycat conversion, but again Maids struck back through Hawkins’ boot.
A strong passage of attacking play then saw the visitors stretch their lead, when Martin Fourie missed a tackle out wide, allowing free-scoring centre Andrew Webber to cross the whitewash. George was off target with the conversion.
Just to prove everyone is fallible, Hawkins struck the post with a penalty in the 22nd minute, but he made amends by splitting the uprights twice more before half-time, while fantastic cover tackling and robust forward play denied the visitors any clear openings.
Having grown accustomed to building big leads before the break, Bridgwater were clearly rattled, particularly their half-backs, who were being harried and hounded into one mistake after another.
But what was becoming very apparent was that Bridgwater were there for the taking.
Realising their visitors were struggling, Maids upped their effort after the restart and forged into the lead.
Hawkins’ trusty boot began the onslaught, but the highlight of the half was a superb score for centre Stuart MacKay.
Centre partner Jonny Hammond began the move, taking the defence left with a thrusting run.
The forwards piled in to produce quick ball, which was spun right to MacKay, who stepped off both feet to leave the defence for dead, before racing away to score.
Hawkins added the extras and Maidenhead’s momentum began to build.
George interupted Maids’ ascendancy with another successful penalty kick.
However, a mighty drive by Mueller soon forced the visitors into another mistake, and Hawkins punished them once again.
Clearly under the cosh, Bridgwater fought hard to get some purchase on the game and scored a third unconverted try through a trademark catch and drive to narrow Maids’ lead to 25-23.
But the Braywick side were not about to surrender their hard-won lead and minutes later Mackay turned the Bridgwater defence around with a threaded grubber kick, which popped up into the grateful arms of Fourie, who displayed a scorching turn of pace to score under the posts.
Hawkins was again on target, and the crowd were on their feet.
A controversial yellow card reduced Maidenhead to 14 men for the last 10 minutes, and Bridgwater took full advantage, driving Maids back inside their own 22.
Calling on their last reserves of energy, the Maidenhead pack fronted up and prevented a second pushover try.
Unfortunately, there was little they could do when Bridgwater substitute Alan Trunks dotted down following a break away, before George narrowed the gap to two points with the conversion
But Maids heroically held on to claim maximum points and a highly prized scalp.

CRUNCH: Allan Greene and Mark Mueller (rear) get stuck in at Braywick on Saturday. Ref:87288/7

Maidenhead: Hawkins, Fourie, MacKay, Hammond, Nisbet, Ruddick, Ayres, Greene, Craig, O’Byrne, Kertesz, Booysen, Mueller, Jones, Morgan. Subs: Edwards, Johnston, Miller.
Bridgwater & Albion: Satala, Burchall, Leung-Wai, Webber, Meyer, George, Salmon, Norris, Hastie, Bryant, Cox, Cormack, M Ranson, Kemmish, S Ranson. Trunks, Tarr, Woodhouse.