Match Report
Match reports 2008/9: 1st XV | Stacks | Gnus
1st Team Match Report - 18th October 2008
(EDF Senior Vase - Home against Mersea Island)
Score: 21 - 25
This week Canvey entertained London 3 NE highfliers Mersea in what has become in recent times the annual Battle of the Islands '.
Canvey started the brighter of the two sides. Their forwards really looked up for this encounter especially Props Jason Fardell & James Saunders, who got the momentum going early with some strong runs. 20mins into the game Canvey capitalised on their territorial advantage when Ben Chandler put them 3 nil ahead with a well struck penalty from distance.
Mersea answered immediately 10mins later, when a poor tackling display allowed the No.8 to score from a scrum 5m out. The conversion followed and Mersea found themselves 3 7 up. New captain James Breading led by example and raised Canvey's game with some good hits and surging runs. On the back of this, Canvey again went forward and were rewarded with another well taken Chandler penalty 6-7.
Canvey tails were back up and looked for their first score. The new streamline Lee Brumwell turned back the clock and found himself at No.8 for this game. His pick from the base of the scrum gave scrum half Brett Smith enough room to hit the ball at pace. He attacked the Mersea winger before delivering a timely pass to right wing Tom Deleu who ran it home from 25yds.
The trusty left peg of Chandler meant Canvey went into the lead 13-7. The tewkes creek outfit maintained the pressure and Chandler again gave Canvey more breathing space with another well taken kick. 16-7 at halftime.
The second half saw Mersea mount a come back. They remained calm under pressure and had an excellent kicker themselves in their scrum half. He slotted home a penalty 5min into the 2 nd half 16-10. Again Canvey came back with some lovely interlinking play, keeping the ball alive at every opportunity, signs that the work being put in by the Canvey coaches Hawes & Gibbons is really paying off. As the Islanders looked to have the game under control, Canvey hit a bad patch. They conceded another penalty that was easily in range of the Mersea kicker. His strike made 16 13. As Canvey mounted another attack a loose ball was seized upon by the opportunist Mersea back line who had an easy run in after some woeful attempts at tackling by Canvey. The successful conversion made it 16 20.
Canvey were stunned, and allowed Mersea back into a game that really they had no business in being in. Mersea capitalised quickly again with another soft try. 16 25. With 5 mins left to play some Canvey players refused to give in, not least James Breading, Craig North & Brett Smith who linked up again after some excellent pressure from the restart.
The forwards took it from here with big guns James Saunders & Lee Brumwell barraging the visitors defence from close range. Brumwell capped off a great personal performance with a dive into the corner. 21 25.
That was the final move of the game. Canvey lost a game they had won, knowing that you can't give teams like Mersea easy tries.
Canvey will look to put things right with a tough trip away to London 4 NE leaders Colchester .
