TRINITY 43-22 OLD WALCOUNTIANS
Match report by Gerry Murphy
In this eagerly anticipated not quite foot of the table clash Trinity started well when they kicked to the corner after the visitors were penalised for going off their feet.

Pressure from a well taken line out led to a scrum and twice the home pack drove their opponents back, the second time winning another penalty.  Skipper Harry Wilson took a quick one and gleefully dived over, but the referee called him back. Mids had enough pressure to produce the opening score but, when eventually the ball was let out, they lost control and Walcountians got out of jail. They then failed to find touch with a penalty and Mids produced some good handling to bring them to the 22 again. Another fine take in the line out produced an opportunity but again Counts tidied up and then set up a promising counter-attack. A fine turnover from Olly Hubbard checked the momentum but the visitors came again and went into the lead with a penalty after 14 minutes.

Having held out Trinity’s initial attacks they were now playing with confidence and had the better of the exchanges. They did not turn this into scores, however, and when a low penalty kick to touch ricocheted off a group of players the ball went loose and was well chased by the Trinity centres Archie McMillan and Marc McEvilly. They hacked forward and McEvilly dived on the ball for a good grounding.  Ben Telfer added the extras and Mids were 7-3 to the good. The visitors were then aggrieved when what looked like an obvious knock-on was not given.  Play was stopped for an injury and play restarted with a scrum to Mids at which they forced a penalty.  Wilson produced his trademark quick one and went on one of his mazy runs which took him to the posts and a second 7 pointer for the home side. Trinity were 14-3 to the good but not really convincing in constructing opportunities themselves. Max Mouna was finding some good positions, but passes were fired at him in conditions which made taking a pass difficult and only some powerful tackles from McEvilly drove Walcountians back. The visitors were not profiting from their possession, however, and Ben Telfer used the wind well to make good ground by putting the ball in the air at the right angel and trajectory. Wilson was yellow carded on the half-hour for the celebrity infringement of a deliberate knock-on. On Trinity’s next visit to the 22 Tom Black took a good catch in the line and well-controlled mauling and recycling saw several surges at the line with Mouna forcing his way over eventually. Telfer’s effort from far out was just wide. Just on half time Walcountians launched another attack and this time got their reward when they scored in the right corner and a magnificent conversion across the gale brought the tally at the interval to 19-10 to Trinity.

The visitor’ kick-off was not well executed, and Trinity had the advantage of a scrum back. This gave the possession they needed to put their mark on the second half and when Wilson broke again into space, it seemed he would repeat his earlier heroics.  He was well tackled just short, but the home support play was effective, and possession was retained to allow Farookh Agbalaya to finish and win a try-bonus for Mids. Telfer’s kick made it 26-10.  Trinity were now playing with confidence and had tightened up a lot. The line out was functioning the best it had all season, with Hall finding George Daniels, Tom Black and Dave Spedding in excellent form.   It must be said that in a high wind the referee was not fussy about tiny margins and allowed both sides to keep the play moving.   The pack with Jacques Bryant, Ali Hall and Tim Jupp relishing the challenge, was well on top.  Walcountians were not helped by suffering two yellow cards in the second half.  Trinity produced their best try after 66 minutes.  Another good line out take set up a maul which drove some 15 metres before the ball was let out and then, when they were threatening the line, Mids were patient and kept at the pick and drive until there was an opening for Dan Crouch to whip the ball right to McEvilly whose vice-like take allowed him to crash over. Telfer again produced a fine conversion attempt which was narrowly wide.

Walcountians reduced the arrears when their dangerous centre Dom Barnaby, who had scored in the September match between these two sides, found space to charge over through some indifferent tackling for a try which was again enhanced by a fine conversion. Trinity finished strongly with two further tries, the first from Tom Black after good forward play in midfield and the second when another accurate line out was driven, and Dave Spedding sprinted to the corner to gain the touchdown.  Walcountians, to their credit scored again before the death but will rue the fact that they were not tighter in the first half when they had plenty of chances.

Trinity will be pleased that they took their opportunities and that their scrum, line out and forward play, particularly in the second half saw them safely through to keeping their place in Counties 1 Surrey/ Sussex for next season.

Match report: Gerry Murphy
Tribe Advisory Player of tthe Match: Farooq Agbalaya
Match photos via Pete Filewood’s Flickr page CLICK HERE