Esher can’t break down TJ’s dogged defence
A HIGHLY entertaining game at the Slade ended with Esher pounding away at the Tonbridge Juddians line but unable to find the score that would have handed them victory – as TJs clung on to stay second in the National Two South table.
Juddians head coach Peter Dankert was pleased with his side’s “hard-fought win in sticky conditions” while Esher head coach Peter Winterbottom praised both teams for
“coming to play” and credited his side for finding a way back into the game after a slow start.
It was the home side who started the better with Juddians applying all the early pressure.
Visitors Esher did not help their own cause by twice missing touch from penalties which could have relieved pressure and established field position.
Eventually Esher paid the price as Tonbridge powered over from Ben Ashmore and Will Robinson converted.
Esher struck back almost immediately though through a Tristan Roberts penalty, but ten minutes later Juddians had crossed again. This time the home side combined brute force with clever lines of attack and accurate handling to put wing Murray Galbraith-Lowe over in the corner.
Fly-half Robinson failed to add the extras from the right-hand touchline but TJs had a comfortable lead – 12-3 with just half an hour gone.
With the game threatening to run away from them Esher struck twice in the space of three minutes before half-time in an admirable rally.
First Roberts added a second penalty after TJs were judged to have infringed at scrum time , before James Booth crossed
for the arguably the game’s best try.
Esher turned the ball over inside their own 22 and Thomas James’s excellent break took play downfield before calm finishing saw Booth over the line out wide.
Roberts was unsuccessful from the tee this time – meaning that at half-time Esher still trailed by a point.
The second half saw no let up in the entertainment even if scores were harder to come by as conditions deteriorated.
TJs thought they had a third try when scrum-half Charlie Edwards broke and kicked ahead only for Galbraith-Lowe’s gather and place to be controversially deemed a knock-on by the referee – much to the dismay of the home support of course.
TJs eventually found the second-half breakthrough when Reece Conlon peeled away from a catch-anddrive to pile over from close range.
The home team had the edge up front and although Esher had previousl repelled several close-range catch and drive attempts TJs finally made one count.
Robinson again failed to add the extras which allowed Esher to stay in the hunt right to the death, but solid TJs defence saw them fall just short time and time again until eventually the ball was turned over and hoofed into touch.
Juddians now trail Taunton by two at the top.