Category: 4th XV

Maidstone II 12 – 35 Deacons

Another team with some new faces, some returning faces; some young at heart faces. Maidstone enjoyed the home advantage with a spirited start that had their supporters in full voice. Capitalising on a Maidstone error Craig Fuller pounced and took us into the lead early in the first half. Maidstone replied almost instantly with neither team able to convert. A very hard fought battle ensued before Finn MacCabe found some space, scored, and added the extras.

The Deacons discipline has been nothing but exemplary all season and as the home team became frustrated at their lack of scrum dominance the penalty count added up and Maidstone went into half time with 14 men.

The second half saw Maidstone score from an interception. With the scores at 12 a piece the Deacons started to apply pressure. The reply was a fantastically worked rolling maul from the forwards to put Jadyn Moore over the line. With solid work from the pack in the middle of the park, the backs went to work around the fringes.
Some brilliant running rugby saw 2 tries from Johnnie Gaylor & a further from debutant Ano Masaka.

Player of the Match – Johnnie Gaylor
Honourable mentions for the entire team.

The Deacons continue to build; our brand of enjoyable, fun, occasionally flamboyant rugby. Get involved!

The Deacons welcomed Folkestone 2^nd XV to the MTG with the visitors having won their opening two games of the season and the Canterbury side looking to bounce back after their narrow 1-point defeat to Gravesend last time out.

The opening stages of the game set the tone for what was going to be a tough battle from both sides for the full 80 minutes. But it was the home side who would strike the first blow, a loose ball in midfield was hacked downfield by Canterbury fullback Ollie Simpson who gleefully chased, collected, and dotted down to put the Deacons in the lead.

Folkestone mounted then mounted a strong period of pressure with the Deacons struggling to get out of their own half and string any meaningful phases together. However another period of scrappy play around the halfway line opened up a huge gap for other winger Johnnie Gaylor to show a clean pair of heels and race away for the Deacons second of the game. But Folkestone were quickly back piling on the pressure and broke through to leave the score at 12-7 to the home side at the break.

The second half opened with as much intensity as the first had ended, with the 10 from Folkestone kicking them into great field positions. However, in a repeat of the first half, it was the deacons who opened the scoring again in the second half with a series of quick left-hand passes (Joe Pellet would be very proud) opening up a big overlap for Chris Wickington to race through and put the Deacons up 19-7.

A rare breakthrough the middle of the park saw captain James Limmer race towards the posts, only for the ref to controversially call the ball was held up. Protests fell on deaf ears as the skipper was reprimanded by the ref with the home team then conceding a penalty and being marched 10m back up the field.

Folkestone then pinned the Deacons in their own 22 for a prolonged period, the ball coming rushing back every time the Deacons looked to exit. The pressure then paid off with the visitors scoring a close-range effort after sapping the Deacons defence.

But it was the home side with the last laugh, as club stalwart Dan Mills offloaded elegantly in the middle of the park to set Ollie Simpson racing away under the posts for his second of the game.

The game finished 26-12 after a tough contest by both teams, with a man of the match performance dished out by Freddie Chapman on his deacons debut.

View match photos

Images may be subject to copyright – Lisa Godden