Dorking’s dominance on display at Braywick Park
Maidenhead RFC: Maids concede six tries in heavy defeat to league’s pace setters
Maidenhead 20, Dorking 43 Six tries, three in each half, were enough for Dorking to see off hosts Maidenhead who are still without a victory in their debut season in the London and SE Premier.
David Mobbs-Smith’s men took the ascendancy inside five minutes at Braywick Park on Saturday thanks to Ed Keohane’s penalty kick, but failing to build on the early advantage gave Dorking the impetus this afternoon.
As a result, Maidenhead slip into 13th while their visitors move into fourth.
“Congratulations to Dorking, I thought they were excellent,” said director of rugby Myke Parrott at full time.
“I thought their back three were particularly potent, and I know their fullbacks have played a decent level before. They played the 50-22 rule pretty well.
“However, at times, I think we were a bit tactically naïve. By the time we really got into the game, we were three or four tries down.
“We need to sleep on this result and try take the heat out of it a bit.”
Ed Keohane put some early points on the board for the home side with a penalty kick when referee Alex Rose noticed an infringement.
However, the lead lasted a little over 10 minutes as a superb move in the middle
of the park orchestrated by James Riley and Matt Hodgson concluded with the latter driving the ball over the line.
The number 10 was then able to slot away the conversion to put Dorking in the driving seat in the 16th minute.
Charlie Fethney bundled over a second try under the sticks 10 minutes later having received the ball in a good position, and a chip and chase from Andre Dunn awarded the visitors with their third of the first half moments later.
With over half an hour
played, Maids were making careless mistakes, struggling to get a grip on the ball, and penetrate Dorking’s 22. For this, they were punished in the 36th minute when Hodgson secured three more points for the visitors just yards from the home side’s try line.
Play was paused on the stroke of half-time due to a scuffle between Dave Cole and Frank Scott who were consequently shown yellows and sinbinned. Fortunately, however, a deft lob sent to the right side of the pitch was intercepted by Conor Graney and driven over the line for Maids’ first try upon the restart.
Unfortunately, Keohane missed the subsequent conversion and the first half concluded 8-22.
Perry Jansen went over for the home side’s second try after the interval as they looked to impose themselves swiftly, but Maids yet again failed to secure the extra two points.
In the blink of an eye, Dorking touched down another five points for themselves thanks to a catch and drive by Callum Anthony, and two more were added from the conversion.
A rolling maul awarded Dorking with another try on the right side of the field, with Hodgson, yet again, displaying his dead ball prowess for an extra two points.
Dave Cole hobbled off the pitch with injury next, and without his robust presence in the middle of the pitch, Maids allowed their visitors to grab themselves a final try in the 62nd minute.
As the match moved into it’s final 10 minutes,
Dorking were still relentlessly attack minded. Will Macaulay, however, showed some impressive resilience to weave through Dorking’s pack to give the home side some more consolation.
It was too little too late, but Conor Graney did manage to kick away the conversion.