Late Tries Seal Victory

Pilgrims 43 Dover 19

by Dan Gill

Pilgrims elected to play up the slope in the first half and imposed their game plan on the visitors from the outset. The early signs were promising as good handling following a Dover dropped ball saw the ball moved wide to Guy Hilton who made a strong break up the touch line and sent in form wing man Gus Lister racing away to score, making the conversion a formality for Owain Collins. Next, when Dover infringed just inside their 22 metre area, a tap penalty move was well executed before centre Harry Sloan crossed out wide.. Canterbury continued to look dangerous, particularly out wide, but it was the forwards turn to show what they were made of as a number of strong runs pushed Dover back before man of the match Isaac Divine picked up and drove through three defenders to add a third try. Dover looked to respond with some strong running and good handling but a mistake out wide saw winger Adrian Geddes collect the ball and outpace everyone to score the bonus point try which Collins converted for 24-0 lead. The visitors responded almost immediately and with Pilgrims looking to move the ball, ex Canterbury stalwart Martyn Beaumont intercepted a loose pass and cantered in to score. They added a second converted touchdown on the stroke of halftime as their busy scrum half burrowed over after a series of pick and goes to make it 24-14 at the break, It was Dover who started the second half brighter and after a ten minute stalemate, they got their third try in the corner after good handling saw them create a textbook overlap and reduce the gap to just five points The Pilgrims responded by introducing their replacements and it wasn’t long before momentum switched back their way with centre Tom Halliday making an instant impact on his return from long term injury. His driving run sucked in defenders and the Pilgrims backs spread the ball wide where Lister ran in his second try, topped up by the conversion. The hat trick followed after a well worked move saw him glide through a gap and dot down near the posts which allowed Collins to add the extras. Dover suffered a number of injuries and had to reshuffle but just as they mounted a promising attack, Pilgrims turned the ball over and the direct running Sonny Trew-Neville put the finishing touch to a solid display that keeps the team top of Counties 1 with three games to play. Next weekend the Pilgrims welcome Cranbrook to the MTG.

Pilgrims: Macmillan, Demery, Morris, Irvine, Hunt, Mackenzie, Divine, Evans, Valladares, Collins, Lister, Sloan, Trew-Neville, Geddes, G Hilton, Everatt, Fielder, T Halliday.