Maids play with rare freedom (27.11.04)

THIS friendly on Saturday proved to be a useful and enjoyable romp allowing both clubs to play squad and emerging players in an open free-flowing encounter.
However, although there were a number of 1st team players on show for both teams, it cannot be used as a pointer to Maidenhead’s up coming league matches.
It did however underscore the difference between South West Division 1, in which Maids are fifth from bottom, and Division 2 East, in which Reading Abbey are flying high.
The match itself was a generally open affair with both teams keen to run the ball at every opportunity.
However, it was Maids who had the control and power to make the best use of this style of play.
Ben Ayres and skipper for the day Mark Mueller made use of the space to make breaks on several occasions, while Maids’ greater experience and ball-winning abilities around the fringes ensured the hosts enjoyed the vast majority of the possession.
Abbey were restricted to defending their 22 and pumping the ball downfield to ease the pressure.
The visitors’ best spell was just after the interval when they upped their workrate as Maids, with the win already in the bag, lost some focus.
However there seemed to be no such problems for Maids at the start of the match, apart from losing winger Danny Martin after just three minutes to a rib injury.
They were 7-0 to the good after 10 minutes when fullback Rob Hawkins went in under the posts after a quickly taken tap penalty and break from the eye-catching Ayres.
However it was the hosts who were then caught napping three minutes later when the Abbey full-back touched down as the defence failed to organise itself in time following a penalty. The conversion was missed, but it seemed the meagre crowd might have a game on its hands.
However, from this moment Maids took control and scored twice in three minutes.
Jonny Hammond, who otherwise had a quiet match, found himself on the end of a sweeping move and perfectly timed pass from Mark Ruddick to go in at the corner.
Then it was Tony Young’s chance to be the recipient of a flowing move which resulted from a Ruddick up-and-under and an Abbey knock on.
Young’s touchdown took the score to 17-5 and from here Abbey seemed unlikely to come back.
But they did rally just before the break and maintained this momentum going into the new half.
They worked hard to stop Maids from finding their rhythm, and for 20 minutes did a good spoiling job.
With Ayres substituted at the break, and the victory wrapped up, Maids lost their way slightly and it was not until the hour mark that they finally put together a few phases to allow Pete Nisbet to score in the corner.
Abbey did come back with a try of their own, but Maids finished the match with a flourish as all their players wanted the rare opportunity this season to get on the scoresheet.
On 63 minutes Hammond bagged his second try when he burst through several tackles in midfield to scoot home. Hawkins notched the conversion for 29-12.
Despite the encounter becoming fractious towards the end, Maids ended with a score through Piers Morgan after a Mueller break.
Hawkins made it 36-12 and job done.
This was a satisfactory display from Maids against keen opponents, it gave a chance for the backs to see more ball than usual, and a useful runout before Bridgwater in the league tomorrow (Saturday).

SOLO: Maids’ Ben Ayres goes it alone on Saturday. Ref:87206/4

Maidenhead: Hawkins, Martin, Hammond, Nisbet, Young, Ruddick, Ayres, O’Byrne, Schwartz, Johnston, Botha, Mueller, Jones, Bullock, Morgan. Subs: Fourie, Edwards.