Farnham hit by hammer blow
FARNHAM were frustrated in their 19-10 defeat away to Hammersmith on Saturday.
The visitors started the game well and put the West London team under pressure.
However, they conceded a penalty and from under his posts, the home fly-half cleared to the halfway line.
From the lineout, the Hammers launched a sweeping attack across the pitch and then switched back to their right wing who cantered over to score out wide. The kick sailed over and Farnham were 7-0 down after just two minutes.
Farnham replied with intent, driven on by captain Ollie Brown, celebrating his 150th start in first team colours, and a feisty back row of Jordan Frost and Toby Comley led by new talisman Oscar Henderson.
Attack after attack the Black and Whites came close with second rowers Ben Adams and Jamie Lowe leading the charge against a resilient home defence.
However just when a score seemed on the cards, a knock on or a loose pass stopped the momentum.
After 20 minutes of sparring, Farnham had more possession and territory than their hosts.
In the set piece scrums props Marco Azevedo and Ben Edwards consistently destroyed the home front row and with Jules Joris and Jonny Vincent enjoying a good day with their throw ins, at last the Black and Whites could work with some decent line out ball. But still the mistakes marred the attacks.
On the half hour mark, Farnham conceded a penalty on the home 22 and another huge penalty clearance kick gave the Hammers a rare attacking opportunity and they took it, again through their flying right winger to double their lead at 14-0.
After only two meaningful attacks had produced two scores against them, Farnham’s frustration mounted.
The home front row was having a torrid time. As the half drew to a close, a driving scrum demolished the Hammers forwards under their posts. A penalty and possibly a yellow card seemed certain but it was not to be for the visitors.
The second half was a repeat of the first but at last Farnham ticked the scoreboard over with a penalty from Toby Salmon after another collapsed scrum.
The backs, through centres Tim Salmon and Jarred Cooper, began to punch holes in the Hammersmith defence.
However, twice winger Rees Stennett with the line at his mercy received a rushed, inaccurate pass and the chances were wasted.
Young full-back Rory Taylor, who enjoyed a fine debut, also made inroads and gave opportunities to a resurgent Gabe Hills who was at his twisting and driving best.
The home side were besieged in their own half and injuries began to mount.
One such incident may have stopped a Farnham try when, with a two-man overlap 15 metres out and a score virtually certain, the referee inexplicably stopped the game as the physios attended a player on the distant side of the pitch.
Farnham fell for a third sucker punch when a misguided clearance kick fell into the arms of the home right wing and after exchanging pass with the other two players in the Hammers back three, the try was scored wide out to give Hammersmith a 19-3 lead with ten minutes remaining.
Back came Farnham who, at last, completed a sustained attack.
Successive driving mauls were just held up close to the try line to set up a twisting, squirming final drive by Hills to secure the score under the posts.
An easy kick for Toby Salmon took the final score to 19-10 but the last act proved too little too late for the visitors.