Pack provide cutting edge
MAIDSTONE CHOBHAM
Maidstone beat a pedestrian Chobham side without playing well.
They had the pack to thank for victory, with skipper Ben Williams scoring both tries and No.8 Matt Iles leading in the loose.
But the quality of play on Saturday was way below that of recent weeks and will need to improve, especially against the top sides in London 1 South.
Josh Pankhurst’s return from injury increased the pack’s cutting edge in the front row, while Euan Caborn’s, who’s back from Canterbury, provided a more secure kicking option.
Maidstone, playing up the slope in the first half, saw an early Brendan Trudgen penalty drift wide and trailed when fly-half Glover ran from his own 22, beat the cover and touched down, leaving Thompson an easy conversion.
Maidstone established themselves in the Chobham 22 from the restart and while the first thrust at the line was held, Williams took the recycled ball and went over, with Trudgen’s conversion levelling.
The pack were dominant but the line-outs were far from secure and this proved a major setback, denying them chances to catch and drive.
Maidstone wasted further chances to move ahead when a forward pass prevented a try for Felip Perica, while Trudgen missed another penalty.
With Chobham riding their luck, it was almost inevitable they would punish Maidstone and so it proved with quick hands setting up a try for Edwards.
Thompson converted but then missed a penalty as the first half ended 14-7.
Caborn, on for Lucien Morosan, cut the gap to four points with a penalty that bounced over off the bar. His influence with the boot grew as the rain fell but Maidstone had to wait until the last 10 minutes to win the game.
They took a scrum on the five-metre line after a break by Craig Webb led to a penalty.
The pushover was halted but quick recycling saw Williams score again, with Caborn adding the extras.
Chobham had one final push but missed out on a draw when Thompson’s penalty went wide.
Maidstone visit leaders Sidcup tomorrow (Saturday). Maidstone: Williams, Pankhurst, Simpson, A Knight, Massey, B Knight, Stimpson, Iles, Morosan, Trudgen, Perica, Webb, Cooke, Copter, Brunt, Clarke. Replacements: Baker, O’Connell, Caborn.
PW D L F A Ps Sidcup .......... 10 9 1 0 384 123 45 CS Rugby ...... 10 8 0 2 287 153 37 Havant .......... 10 7 1 2 411 170 37 Tun Wells...... 10 7 0 3 219 161 34 Tottonians..... 10 6 0 4 321 192 32 Cobham ........ 10 6 0 4 272 180 32 Sevenoaks .... 10 6 0 4 286 195 31 Gravesend .... 10 5 0 5 274 233 26 Maidstone..... 10 5 0 5 225 222 25 Chobham ...... 10 5 0 5 199 169 24 Chiswick ....... 10 3 0 7 170 321 9 Brighton........ 10 1 0 9 144 309 8 Dover............ 10 1 0 9 102 479 5 Gosport & F... 10 0 0 10 80 467 1 Results: Gosport & Fareham 8 Brighton 13, Gravesend 53 Dover 3, Havant 33 Chiswick 10, Maidstone 17 Chobham 14, Sevenoaks 32 Cobham 27, Tottonians 9 CS Rugby 14, Tunbridge Wells 17 Sidcup 22. Fixtures: Brighton v Tunbridge Wells, Chiswick v Gravesend, Chobham v Sevenoaks, Cobham v Tottonians, CS Rugby v Havant, Dover v Gosport & Fareham, Sidcup v Maidstone.