Dover 2nd XV (23) v (10) Thanet 2nd XV
Played 21st February 2009
The last month has been uneventful for the 2’s with fixtures being lost to the wintry weather. Last Saturday was a gloriously sunny day though and perfect conditions for a game of rugby. The lack of games told on Dover, and at times they made hard going of what was moderate opposition.
The pack was on top for the whole match with Hewer and Hayes providing power and diligence up front. Craig May had an aggressive match, giving the forwards a steely edge.
The opening scores were kicked by Dover’s “go to” man Mike Marsh. Thanet replied with their own kick to level. Shortly after the power of the Dover pack started to tell. Dover were awarded a scrum five metres from the Thanet line. By keeping it tight and turning on the power the Thanet pack slowly started the crumble. Great control was exhibited by the scrum allowing Richard Hayward to dribble forward and pounce on the ball for a try.
The second half saw Dover extend their lead but never really hit top gear. Dale Mercer scored his 15th try of the season with a run into the corner following Marsh’s quick penalty close to the line. Then near the end Mercer was on hand again to provide the killer pass for Justin Marx to steam in for a try.
Captain Matcham was not too impressed with the performance and will be looking for a better performance from his lads next week. Gravesend arrive at Crabble having humiliated the 2’s in their previous encounter. Dover must be in better form next week to overcome this hurdle.
Dover: Coughlin, Mercer (Westfield), Landman, Marx, Morton, Marsh, Denning, Hayes, Chambers, Hewer (Mcnamara), Gill, Cherrington, Matcham, May, Hayward.
Report by: Charlie Denning
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