Match Report Archive
The Oaks come agonisingly close in the Kent Cup
14 Mar 2010
Sevenoaks’ U16s arrived at Ashford having only played a handful of competitive matches this season (due to an unusually high number of losses to the weather) so looked to the Kent Cup to provide the highlight of the season. Unlike the last two years’ cup campaigns where a first match loss provided a route to winning the Plate competition, the Oaks hit the ground running against Old Colfeians and won with a try in each half from Connor Cooper. In the second pool game, Sevenoaks were too strong for Old Gravesendians as Will Grist grabbed two tries and Tommy Fuller a conversion.
With the pool successfully negotiated, the Oaks moved into the main Cup competition where the quarterfinal opponents were Old Beccehamians the defending champions for the last two years. The first half was scoreless as two strong sides cancelled each other out. Mid way through the second half, the Beccs ran the ball wide and their burly winger crashed over for a score, which was duly converted. Despite several spirited attacks, the Oaks could not level and as time ticked on, it seemed as though one score would be enough.
In the final play of the game, the Oaks had moved deep into the Beccs’ 22 and were held up illegally. From the resulting penalty, the ball was moved to Ben Woodmansee who cut inside his opposite number to score under the posts. He also converted his try to level the scores and, with the final whistle, the game moved into a drop-goal shoot out. Each side has five attempts to score a drop goal taken from the 22-metre line. Suffice to say that of all 10 kickers, only Tommy Fuller was successful and the Oaks were through to the semi-final by the narrowest of margins.
The semi-final was against Westcombe Park and, as with the quarterfinal, both sides were able to cancel out each other’s attacks. As half time came and went, it seemed that neither side would score and the prospect of a second drop-goal shootout loomed large. In a reverse echo of the previous game, it was Sevenoaks who conceded a penalty in their own 22 late in the game. About seven metres in from the touchline, the kick was far from simple but the Park kicker nervelessly slotted the ball between the posts. As the Oaks retrieved the ball and ran towards half way to try and respond, the final whistle went and a long day ended with a narrow but honourable defeat.
Old Colfeians, 10 –0; Old Gravesendians, 12 – 0; (QF) Old Beccehamians 7 – 7; (SF) Westcombe Park 0 – 3.