Sevenoaks 34 Beckenham 5
Oaks welcomed LSE2 rivals Beckenham to The Paddock on Saturday knowing that victory would stretch Captain Robinsons men’s winning streak at home to over a year. However, in the previous three meetings between the two sides since Beckenhams relegation at the end of the 13/14 season, there had been little to choose between the teams and a close spikey affair was in the offing for the home town faithful.
Beckenham would have started the season as a popular pick of many to be involved the end of term promotion race but a little bit of inconsistency has seen them fall back into the mid table pack. However, playing with the conditions in the first half, they started much the better of the two teams and managed to register the first score of the day with their winger going over in the corner after a five minute period of sustained pressure that saw them set up camp in the Oaks twenty two. Game on.
Oaks response to this early setback was swift and defined the narrative for the remaining seventy minutes of the game. The larger beasts in the Oaks pack took up the cudgels and ran hard and straight through the midfield channels, drawing in defenders before releasing quick ball for the backs to expose the space created out wide. Before the half, Oaks scored four tries through Naismith, Adams, Unwin and Winter. Winter picked a good time to have an unusually quiet day with the boot landing only two from eight on a day when wind and underfoot conditions were the kickers enemy . This left Oaks leading 22-5 at the half, bonus point secured, job nearly done.
As the second half progressed, Oaks stranglehold on the game tightened further as they imposed themselves on a tiring opposition. Further scores for Thorpe and a second score from winger Adams were added and a number of other opportunities were missed, in no small part due to the somewhat grim conditions. Oaks reward for their determination to keep playing regardless of the elements was a comfortable 34-5 win against doughty and committed opponents.
After the match Coach Vaughan commented ‘I was delighted with the effort from the team today. We are at that time of year, with games coming thick and fast, when the depth of your squad is really tested and you can get the odd upset. We showed a good level of composure and a real will to win against tough opposition who kept going until the end. We move onto the visit of London Exiles, who are a bit of an unknown quantity, to The Paddock next Saturday in the next round of the Cup in good spirits and hopefully we can replicate this level of performance’
Team
1 Naismith
2 Richardson
3 Power
4 Anderson
5 Coleman
6 Thorpe
7 Sedgwick
8 Robinson
9 Streather
10 Winter
11 Adams
12 Vaihu
13 Unwin
14 Dodd
15 Bates
16 Simmons T
17 Shirtcliff
18 Baldock