With Raiders already relegated the final two games of the season are a chance for the squad to show what they can do with no pressure on them. The season has been a catastrophe in terms of injuries. So many key players have been side lined for long periods and have missed many matches.
As we reach this, the penultimate game of the season, selection was again difficult with Jack Lake, Kemp Price and Josh Taylor added to the unavailability list. On the positive side, Will Beer, Fraser Bruce and Sam Myles returned to the squad and Alfie Ambrose was making his first appearance of the season after returning from university.
On a hot, sunny afternoon Westcombe Park kicked off playing towards the southern end of the ground. Raiders made a quick start, helped by a couple of penalties against the visitors in the first minute. From a lineout they were able to set up a catch and drive enabling Rob Ure to touch down after only three minutes. Ed Hartley was unable to add the extras, but Raiders had an early 5-0 lead.
Within two minutes Westcombe Park took the lead with a converted try, 5-7. Raiders were then guilty of giving away several penalties in a short space of time. This enabled the visitors to put themselves in good attacking positions on the field and by the sixteenth minute they had scored two more tries, one of which they converted. At 5-19 Raiders were in danger of being out of the game unless they could score next, which they did in the twentieth minute. Westcombe Park gave away a penalty and Tom Meyer put a fine touch kick deep into their twenty-two. From the lineout a straightforward driving maul was instigated and George Gatford touched down. Ed Hartley converted to give the scoreline a better look at 12-19.
Raiders have, on several occasions this season, conceded a try immediately after scoring themselves and this is exactly what happened two minutes later. The visitors drove the home side off the ball at a ruck, and with the unexpected possession, counter attacked and scored a good try which they converted. This gave them a fourteen-point lead after twenty-three minutes, 12-26.
Raiders again found themselves in the position of having to score next if they were to stay in this contest. After thirty-two minutes they thought they had scored when Ben Featherstone dived over next to the posts. Unfortunately, the referee deemed the ball to have been held up and Westcombe Park were able to relieve the pressure with a goal line drop out.
The visitors gave away five penalties in the latter stages of the half and this enabled the hosts to establish good field position and maintain pressure on Westcombe Park’s defence.
With the half drawing to its close, Raiders were rewarded for some excellent fifteen-man rugby when Ben Featherstone again crossed the line, and this time did touch down for the try. Ed Hartley converted bringing the gap between the sides down to one score at 19-26.
This half had seen some good rugby from both sides, but also squandered chances, especially from the home side.
Half time score: Worthing Raiders 19 Westcombe Park 26
Raiders were right back in the game. A good start was required as they kicked off to get the second half underway.
It looked like they had made exactly the right start when from the kick-off they regained the possession and built an attack that took them to Westcombe Park’s five-metre line. Another score looked likely until they were penalised at a ruck. The visitors quickly worked their way downfield and scored a converted try to stretch the lead to 19-33.
Three minutes later things got worse for the home side when a dropped ball was swooped on by Westcombe Park and they scored another converted try with only six minutes of the half played. The lead was now twenty-one points at 19-40.
Over the next ten minutes Raiders emptied the bench in an effort to get back in the game, but not before the visitors had scored another try and extended their lead to 19-45.
Three tries in the first twelve minutes of the half had really set the home team back. A period of rebuilding was called for and the next score had to come from Raiders if there was any chance of catching the opposition.
There was no further score for the next fourteen minutes. Raiders were playing well, moving the ball around accurately and at pace. Both Alfie Ambrose and Ben Featherstone made line breaks, pushing the Westcombe Park’s defence deeper, the backs moved the ball across the field seeking a weak point to burst through. This they achieved and as so often this season, it was Jack Forrest who made the incisive break to streak away and score. Ed Hartley again added the extras to bring the score to 26-45.
As earlier in the game Raiders allowed Westcombe Park to score again within a minute of the restart. The seesaw scoring now showed the visitors leading 26-52. The rest of the game belonged to Raiders, as they built sweeping attacks that Westcombe Park fought to thwart. With time running out, the ball swept across the backs until it reached Charlie Spencer on the wing, having made twenty metres, he put a chip kick over the cover defence, several players from both sides tried to gather the bouncing ball and all failed until Ed Hartley scooped it up and dived over to score. Ed converted his own try to bring the score to 33-52 and still five minutes to play.
The hosts were certainly playing well at this point, with forwards and backs linking expertly. Eventually, Ben Featherstone scored the final try of the match with Ed Hartley again converting, 40-52. Moments later the whistle went to bring the game to its conclusion.
Full time score: Worthing Raiders 40 Westcombe Park 52
A highly, entertaining game for an appreciative three hundred plus crowd. Not the result Raiders wanted, but they had certainly played their part and remained competitive to the end. The game was probably lost in those first few minutes of the second half, when the visitors scored three tries leaving Raiders to play catch up for the rest of the match. Some excellent teamwork and individual performances. Special mention to Grant Gatford who played nearly the whole game, as he did last week, at the tender age of 49. He insists he is retiring at the end of this campaign!
Man of the Match went to Ed Hartley who had a good day with the boot and with ball in hand. Great to see him playing so well after breaking his arm earlier in the season and spending a long time on the side lines.
Referee: Alex Rose
Attendance: 323
Scorers:
Tries: Rob Ure, George Gatford, Ben Featherstone (2), Jack Forrest, Ed Hartley
Conversions: Ed Hartley (5)
Team: 1. Grant Gatford 2. George Gatford 3. Ben Featherstone 4. Elliott Powell 5. Fraser Bruce – Captain 6. Ollie Crow 7. Alex Havers 8. Rob Ure 9. Jake Rutherford 10. Cam Dobinson 11. Charlie Spencer 12. Ed Hartley 13. Jack Forrest 14. Will Beer 15. Tom Meyer
Replacements: 16. Max Ravaudet 17. Alfie Ambrose18. Joe Beale 19. Sam Myles 20. Dillon Worsley
The Fox Inn man of the Match: Ed Hartley
