Fordingbridge take step toward's safety (From Daily Echo)

Fordingbridge take step toward's safety

3:39pm Tuesday 15th March 2011 in Rugby By Clive Downton

Fordingbridge took an important step towards London 3 South-West safety at the weekend – and got a little help from rivals and neighbours Ellingham & Ringwood.

Bridge defeated rock bottom London South Africa 22-17 at The Recreation Ground while the Es helped them out by beating secondfrom- bottom Old Wimbledonians 22-18.

Fordingbridge must have thought they were going to amass a cricket score when they notched up 22 unanswered points against the division’s whipping boys in the first 40 minutes.

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But credit to London SA who refused to give in and gave the home side a fright with 17 points of their own after the break.

With the forwards in control the first try of the day went to Alex Tattersall when he powered over following a well controlled drive for the line.

James Greenwood then took a clever pass from Mat Norton to go over with Norton converting the score.

Dean Lewis placed down under the posts and Norton converted and followed that up with a penalty as Bridge dominated the first half.

But the second period was a much more even contest with LSA scoring three tries, one of which was converted to bring them within five points of Bridge.

Despite being awarded many kickable penalties Bridge kept kicking for the corner, but stout defence and bad luck meant that they could not convert the pressure into points.

Winchester’s slide down the table continued when they suffered another defeat, 24-15 at the hands of Old Alleynians, their seventh loss in nine games.

The club has now dropped to eighth place in the table.

Unable to respond to the visitors’ two firsthalf goals they trailed 14-0 at the break, the Old Boys opening their account just two minutes into the game before scoring wide out mid-way through the half. Three minutes into the second period Old Alleynians struck again with an unconverted try.

The 19-0 deficit sparked a Winchester 30- minute purple passage where wingman Matt Day scored his first try for the club and left winger Matt Burt ended an electrifying run with his tenth league try of the season. Jack Parsons followed the conversion with a well taken drop-goal and put Winchester within four points of the visitors.

During the remaining seven minutes Old Alleynians maintained their composure and claimed the victory with an unconverted try shortly before the final whistle.

“We made simple mistakes,” said Winchester’s leading try scorer Matt Burt. “We were getting chances but we didn’t take as many as we should have done. They certainly took theirs and that was the difference.”