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Another Disappointment
SEVENOAKS 26 CANTERBURY 17
by David Haigh
This latest defeat leaves Canterbury hovering unconvincingly above the relegation zone as they slipped to twelfth place in the National 2 East table. A worryingly familiar performance saw them fail to put points on the board when they had momentum and then let the game slip away in the final stages. Going into the last ten minutes there was only a point between the sides after Canterbury won a penalty try for a collapsed maul and ‘Oaks lost a player to a yellow card but it was the home side who reacted positively. In the left boot of full back Ben Adams they had a potent weapon and his second massive penalty goal pegged the city club back before the work of the Oaks pack paved the way for a decisive try by Charlie Naismith. It was a tight but deserved win over a Canterbury side who were too predictable in attack and lacked any real penetration in the back division. The pack, as ever, did an honest job with Tyler Oliver and Jamie Stephens carrying well and the line out work giving Sevenoaks plenty of problems, but it was never quite enough. They did well to survive Oaks early blast and it wasn’t until the end of the first quarter that Canterbury broke out and took the lead through a Frank Reynolds penalty goal. The home side made a quick reply with a try that had a touch of good fortune about it as their loose pass was twice hacked on and Ben Adams won a finger tip touch down. It was in the second quarter that the city side took a grip but avoidable errors and a shortage of finishing power, plus an Adams penalty goal, left them still five points adrift at the break. Adams slotted a long range penalty goal five minutes into the second half but there was little between the sides and a swift response saw Billy Young finish off an organised catch and drive and Reynolds nail a good conversion. The best try of the game was scored by ‘Oaks wing Jonny Short as he slipped into mid-field, wrong footed the defence and left Adams an easy kick. When Canterbury hit back with the driving maul which brought the penalty try and the difference was down to one point again they had every reason to think they might squeeze a result out of a gritty contest. Instead, their lack of staying power sent then home empty handed.
Canterbury: R.Howard, M.Halliday, W.Waddington, T.Best, W.Calder, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper, B.Young (repl A.Cooper), N.Morris, D Herriott (repl E.Lusher), R.Cadman (repl A.Evans), J.Stephens, H.Andrews (repl R.Cadman), C.Murray, T.Oliver
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