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Fordingbridge 19pts - Old Wimbledonians 1st XV 17pts: Played March 6th 2010

The Old Boys roving reporter rove all the way to deepest Hampshire on Saturday looking for the team to secure a league double against new boys Fordingbridge. However he came away disappointed with a loss which ought really to have been a victory. A great deal of incompetence from the visitors caused the home team to be encouraged to think they could win a game they they should have lost.

The game was only six minutes old when the home side mounted a move through their backs which following some limp O W tackling saw their left winger score behind the posts. This try was converted. After this the visitors seemed to run the long coach journey out of their legs and produced some inventive play with forwards and backs linking well. George Attipoe beat his man on the outside with ease and the inside scoring pass to Jamie Crone, linking round from the left wing, could not be held. Richard Delfino ran well in the open two or three times but the support for him seemed distant and the pressure could not be maintained. Forty minutes arrived with Matt Jones's penalty the only reply to the early Fordingbridge try.

However one careless moment with two tackles being missed by the Old Boys and a good chip and chase in the Fordingbridge centre gave the home side twelve points in first half injury time for a 19-3 half-time advantage.

In the second period the visitors slowly got on top of the home forwards who towards the end visibly tired, although the Fordingbridge backs were often still dangerous. However the Old Boys were not able to add to their score until on the half-hour mark an excellent run by Paddy Donaghy down the right, injecting some pace to the backs, was stopped ten yards short of the line. From the maul following the line-out Alex Prew drove over the home line for Jones to convert.

A sense of urgency and a possible victory now came into the OWs thinking and they attacked from every field position, and another scoring pass was dropped by an OW back with the line at his mercy.

Worse than this some ill-discipline crept into the visitors play and the home team were able to keep clearing their lines to touch.

However, on forty minutes Matt Lucas, noticing that the opposing No 8 was sin-binned, darted round the blind-side for an opportunist try which Jones again converted to keep his 100% match kicking record intact.

Despite some frantic last minute pressure, including some mazy running from Jason Murphy, the OWs were not able to grab a narrowly deserved victory.

Other than in the final few tense minutes it was noticeable that the Old Boys discipline was greatly improved and little ground was sacrificed by illegal play giving penalties away.

Next Fixtures

Saturday 13th March 2010
A Team v Purley John Fisher - KO 3:00pm home

Saturday 20th March 2010
1st XV v Kingston - KO 3:00pm home
A Team v Old Whitgiftian 2XV - KO 3:00pm away
Rams v Old Reigatian 2XV - KO 3:00pm home

Pre-Match Lunches

Pre-match lunches are held before all home first team league matches. The remaining lunch for this season will be on 20th March. The team and the club earnestly need your support in the now annual relegation battle. Please book through Eddie Bell on 01372 723992 or edwardgbell@talktalk.net

Subscriptions for the 2009/2010 season

Full playing member - £20 per month by standing order or £240 per season

Full playing member (full time student) - £25

Non-playing member - £50

All subscriptions are due by no later than 1st September, 2009. Standing order mandates/cheques should be made payable to 'OLD WIMBLEDONIANS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB' and sent to the Hon. Treasurer, Ron Penn, 33 Oakfield Road, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2RD