Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Two-try burst at start of second half proves crucial
own line out, Whitstable pushed on with several phases before capitalising on a sluggish covering back line, playing the ball through hands for the winger to beat the last defender and score. Faversham opened the second half with greater conviction keeping the ball to hand and pushing behind the gain-line with every phase.
Coming within 10 metres of the try line after a series of incisive rucks, the Castaways dummied right to the openside, before shifting the ball blind for Pete Ehmann to cross in the corner.
The response from Whitstable was immediate, attacking with focus and pace while disrupting an increasingly predictable Faversham line-out.
A driving maul down the middle of the pitch dragged in too many players, leaving too much ground for the remaining defenders to cover.
Whitstable’s fly-half utilised a dummy side-step to break through the covering defence to restore his side’s lead.
From the restart, Faversham sought to match the higher pace by putting pressure on the opposition firstreceivers, only to rush out of the blocks too quickly to leave the slightest of openings for Whitstable’s scrum-half to run through unopposed.
The visitors fought back from the kick-off but pressure increased as the clock ran down. While able to secure strong territorial position, the line-out was by now completely exposed and left Faversham struggling to retain possession.
Eddie Stott broke the mould, however, keeping on his feet from a crash ball and handing off defenders to charge over unaided from 20 metres out.
Unfortunately for the Castaways, this came too late to build a challenge to Whitstable’s lead.
Try scorers for Whitstable – who are now up to second – were Kieran Woolf, Tony Cairney, Josh Booty and Sam Holness. Faversham: R.chipperton, J.meadows, E.stott, S.oatley, C.harmsworth, F.iron, K.fiddler, L.garnham, J.williams, B.egleton, B.sanders-champney, P.bulteel, D.tabor, C.hunt, T.woolf, D.flynn, P.ehmann, N.kingdon