Win gives Camberley a clear lead in the table
CAMBERLEY pulled clear at the top of Regional One South Central as they beat Maidenhead 26-8 at home, while second-placed Havant’s game at Tunbridge Wells was postponed.
Camberley looked quite a different team from their game at Welsh with both Dom Sammut and Sam Voight missing from the teamsheet, together with Matt Smart and Matt Bowers. Skipper Chris Bird and returnee Ed Grosvenor were in the row while Ray Morunga stood in at ten with backs coach Chris Laidler bravely donning the 12 shirt.
Camberley got proceedings underway and George Owen ran back the visitors’ defensive kick.
When Connor Hayhow received the ball on halfway the centre showed his pace and strength by cutting through the opposition to dot down under the posts for an outstanding score.
With a strong wind and soggy pitch, it was clear that the level of mistakes would be much higher than normal, and on eight minutes Hayhow was almost through again only for the final pass to go astray.
The visitors were clearly being kept in the game with the serious penalty count being incurred by the Black and Ambers.
From their 22 they advanced to the red zone courtesy of two penalties. When the entire side joined the line-out drive it proved to be too much for Camberley to handle and on 17 minutes it became a two-point game.
Every scrum became a nightmare for the visitors and when Max McCarthy made a dart for the line, he was held up, forcing the visitors to drop out from the goalline.
Eventually, about five minutes before the break, Camberley put some daylight between themselves and the visitors when a great lineout in the visitors’ 22 saw Mac Duaibe feed Hayhow again and the powerful centre burst through the paper thin defence to claim his second of the game under the posts.
Morunga added the extras to make it 14-5.
The second period began poorly for the Black and Ambers with Owen getting a ten-minute break and the visitors adding three points to their tally with a simple kick in front of the posts.
The Camberley pack was dominant at scrum time but they managing to lose good attacking positions through their transgressions.
Following an impressive drive by Jaid Wiltshire, the forwards eventually managed to drive over a set piece from at least 15 metres with Alex Hughes claiming the score to make it 21-8.
The restart was handled well with Wiltshire charging into the visitors’ half before chipping ahead to the number 15 who was clearly struggling with an injury.
From his knock-on in his 22, another series of scrum penalties saw a yellow for Maidenhead and eventually the bonus point try when McCarthy finally decided to play the ball wide and Alex Young crossed in the corner for a well deserved try.
The remaining 15 minutes saw both sides struggling in the conditions but with no apparent injury issues, Camberley will be very happy with the five points.
Camberley are away to Bracknell on Saturday.