EAST GRINSTEAD 48 V DOVER 10
Dover visited high flying East Grinstead at the weekend and despite the result the players should be reasonably pleased with their performance. With as many as 8 unavailabilities Dover were not at full strength but they played with the pride and passion required to pull on a 1st team shirt.
Aaron Cooper
Dover started well Ed Blowers retrieving Ben Sedgwick's kick off. The forwards kept it tight with the pick and go forcing East Grinstead to concede a penalty for killing the ball at the ruck 40 metres out. Jack Ayling opted for posts the ball falling just short. East Grinstead cleared with a 22 dropout and Dover again proceeded up the pitch again East Grinstead had hands in the ruck and Dover were awarded the penalty 45 metres out. Ayling dissected the posts for Dover to take an early 3-0 lead. This appeared to wake the home side up. Dover were put under pressure from the restart and although initially in possession they were turned over. East Grinstead spun the ball from left to right sucking in the Dover defence to spin the ball the other way to score an unconverted try in the corner 5-3. Dover tried in vain to break East Grinstead down but the home side absorbed the pressure. They enjoyed 10 minutes of possession but Dover's defence was outstanding restricting them to a penalty for an 8-3 lead. Dover failed to switch on as EG ran in a converted try to move 15-3 ahead after 28 mins. Dover did switch back on and win another penalty Ayling missing just wide but there was much to be pleased about at half-time.
Dover brought on Robinson and Hewer to replace Suter and the injured Lucas. Dover failed to hit the ground running and they spent the opening 15 minutes of the half chasing shadows as East Grinstead cranked up the pace scoring 21 points in the process 36-3. Dover were now playing for pride a final change saw Savage replacing Konntila in the back row. Dovers defence improved and it took EG's 10 minutes to score again 41-3. Pleasing Dover still refused to give up. The forwards won a scrum against the head which fired everyone up and frustrated the hosts. Onwards Dover pushed East Grinstead happy to concede a penalty 20 metres out. Rather than take the easy points on offer skipper Tonks instructed Ayling to go for touch. Dover had the 5 metre lineout secured by Blowers and set the driving maul. Dover's pack pumped their legs driving ever closer Greg Hewer touching down for the try. Ayling added the extras 41-10. East Grinstead did have the final word running in a try in the last seconds for the full time result 48-10.
Other results in the league went Dover's way and they remain in 6th place with 6 games to go. The target now to end the season undefeated and gain 5th place. Dover have a rest from league action this week with their next game at Crabble against Haywards Heath on March 2nd.
Team
COOPER, AMBROSE, LUCAS, SUTER, D TONKS (Capt.), KONNTILA, BLOWERS, KATAINEN, CRAWFORD, SEDGWICK, McNAMARA, AYLING, N ANNAKIE, CHANDLER, HOPGOOD, ROBINSON, HEWER, SAVAGE
Scorers
Try: HEWER
Conv: AYLING
Pens: AYLING