Chance for first win squandered (09.10.04)

A TERRIFIC performance from Maids took them within touching distance of their first win in South West Division 1 at Braywick on Saturday.
Unfortunately, an inability to convert chances into points allowed Cheltenham to flee back down the M4 with their 100 per cent winning record intact.
In an even and honest encounter, Maids came under the cosh early on, but rode the storm and fought back to deservedly take the lead on 20 minutes.
The forwards made the initial breakthrough, as they powered into the Cheltenham 22 from the half-way line.
Quick ball enabled Stuart Mackay to break the game-line, while close support produced good second phase ball close to the Cheltenham line. The ball was spun left and Mackay popped up to pierce a second hole in the Cheltenham defence, before setting up Alex Greer for a fine try just to the left of the posts.
Stand-in kicker Danny Walton slotted the conversion and Maids were 7-0 to the good.
With the bit between their teeth, Maids’ tight five began bossing the game and Maids should have scored at least two more tries before the break.
Unfortunately, individual errors cost them dearly, with Dave Knight being pulled up short with the line seemingly at his mercy, while Dan Martin dropped a short pass just yards from the Cheltenham line.
Mackay was also tackled agonisingly short of the whitewash, while the forwards were held out by the Cheltenham pack in the follow up.
Cheltenham were far less profligate and narrowed the lead with a well-struck penalty, their only scoring chance of the second quarter.
For the entire second half, the game see-sawed one way then the other.
Maidenhead’s backs once again had the ammunition to deal their guests a fatal blow, but loose passing and an apparent lack of confidence close to the line denied them a decisive score.
Then, with 20 minutes to play, the visitors edged into a one-point lead when centre Mark Pitman evaded two tackles to dance in from 15 yards.
Maidenhead’s trouble deepened 10 minutes later, when Allan Greene was yellow carded for preventing the Cheltenham scrum-half from taking a tap penalty.
However, despite the one-man advantage, Cheltenham spent the rest of the game on the back foot, as a passionate Maidenhead onslaught drove them deep into their own half.
With the clock ticking down the visitors were close to cracking, as lock De Wet Booysen drove the ball to within half a yard of the line.
But the move ended in a pile up, the referee halted play and then blew for full-time, giving Cheltenham a very fortunate 8-7 win.

RUNAWAY TRAIN: Cheltenham discovered that Maidenhead’s fleet-footed lock Mark Mueller takes some stopping once he gets a head of steam up. Ref:86683/3

Maidenhead:Walton, Knight, Mackay, Andrews, Greer, Martin, Edwards, Greene, Swartz, O’Byrne, Mueller, Booysen, Jones, Windeyer, Bryant. Subs: Johnston, Morgan, Nesbit.