Depleted Maidstone beaten
MAIDSTONE GRAVESEND
Tonbridge lost 33-15 at home to Cinderford in National 2 South on Saturday. Judds started and finished well but were overpowered in the middle section of the game. Charlie Edwards scored out wide following a series of pick-and-drives from a 5m scrum and Liam Prescott converted a long-range penalty but Tonbridge were 14-8 down at halftime. Cinderford extended their lead to 33-8 with 15 minutes left and at that point Tonbridge could have folded. But they kept going and after Edwards went close, No.8 Will Colderick scored a try, converted by Nathan Holmes. Judds go to Worthing on Saturday. Much-changed Maidstone suffered their sixth defeat in a row on Saturday and slipped to second-bottom in London 1 South.
There were seven personnel and two positional changes from the side who played at Cobham.
And the team’s cause wasn’t helped when Ben Brill was taken to hospital with an ankle injury inside a few minutes.
Among those missing was captain Ben Williams, following his 80th-minute red card against Cobham, and while stand-in skipper Adam Knight tried his best, the outcome was a shapeless affair.
It was only in the last 10 minutes of the second half that Maidstone raised themselves to threaten the visitors’ line.
There was a new signing in the front row in Kiwi Keiron Gibbons, who’s from the same North Island outfit, Burnside, as former club favourite Willie Brown.
Much was expected and he delivered a solid performance in a pack that came under pressure.
With the clock ticking into first-half injury-time the deadlock was broken when Gravesend full-back Betts slotted a penalty.
Maidstone could have lived with a three-point deficit at half-time but it became 10 when a mistake gave Gravesend a scrum, leading to a penalty try following a high tackle by Josh Pankhurst, who was also sent to the sin-bin.
The best rugby of the match led to the visitors’ third try with the ball moved to rightwing Okenla, who moved outside the cover, swapped passes and slalomed back across field to score. Betts converted for 17- 0.
Gravesend extended their lead to 20 points with a Betts penalty before Maidstone’s late rally saw them score twice in five minutes.
The first try came from Adam Knight in the right corner, converted by Euan Caborn. Ben Knight delivered the second in the left corner following a break from halfway by Pankhurst.
With the conversion just wide, Maidstone missed out on a losing bonus point.
Maidstone visit Thurrock this Saturday. Maidstone: Gibbons, Pankhurst, Beck, A Knight, Massey, B Knight, Brill, Iles, Morosan, Beech, Antoniou, Perry, Copp, Green, Caborn. Replacements: Guero, Field, Leech.