Friday Night Feast

Canterbury Pilgrims 60 Thanet Wanderers 24

by John Mitchell

A large crowd at this Friday night game, played in excellent conditions, were treated to a fast, open contest which yielded fourteen tries. Ten of them were scored by the unbeaten Pilgrims as they extended their winning run in Counties 1 Kent to twelve games with wing Adrian Geddes claiming a hat trick. It all started when Sonny Trew-Neville went on a 60 yards run and some swift recycling saw Dan Huntley cross for his first try for his new club. Pilgrims were up, running and off loading to great effect and by the half hour mark were 22 points in front. There was a lovey solo try from scum half Presley Farrance and Geddes had been sent across the line twice. Bottom of the table Thanet, relying mostly on forward power, fought back with an unconverted try after Roland Odunwu was sin binned and although Sonny Trew-Neville split the visitors defence again to register a bonus point fourth touch down the visitors produced their own brilliant solo moment to reach the break only seventeen points in arrears. Pilgrims started the second half on the front foot and tries from Luke Webber and Max Halliday took the game away from Thanet. They did suggest a brief come back with a converted try but when a great combined move gave Geddes his hat trick it removed any lingering doubts. Canterbury’s biggest concern was a serious injury to fly half Tom McMann who slotted four conversions and set up skipper Alex Evans for the ninth try with a grubber kick and a kind bounce before he was forced off. A yellow card for Geddes and a penalty try gave Thanet a deserved bonus point before Halliday rounded off the evening with a try converted by Gus Lister. Pilgrims next game is a visit to Cranbrook on January 6th.

Pilgrims: G .Lister, H.Valldares, S.Trew-Neville, J.Richardson, A.Geddes, T.McMann, P.Farrance, A.Malik, B.Dunkerley, D.Huntley, W.Hunt, L.Webber, R.Odunwu, T.Mackenzie A.Evans. Replacements: J.Everatt, D.Gill, M.Halliday.