Windsor’s hopes of being the best runners-up suffer setback at Wallingford
Windsor’s hopes of claiming promotion as one of the best runners-up across the country suffered a setback on Saturday as they were beaten 36-17 at Wallingford.
Andy Symons’ side have been in ruthless form of late, winning their last 12 matches in a row heading into Saturday’s trip to Wallingford.
However, in a rare off-day, they failed to click either offensively or defensively as the hosts ran in a series of tries to claim victory by 19 points.
It was the side’s fourth league defeat of the season and their heaviest since their opening day, 47-3 loss to league leaders Beaconsfield.
The win moves Wallingford to within eight points of them, however, Windsor have three games left to play to their rivals’ two.
All conquering Beaconsfield are now 18 points clear at the top of the table after they hammered Rams 3rds 76-7 away from home. The victory saw them mathematically clinch the title, however, that had looked like a formality for several weeks.
Windsor will round off a campaign which could still bring them promotion as one of the best second placed sides at their level with home games against Chinnor and Beaconsfield and an away game at Rams 3rds.
After finishing the season with their home game against Beaconsfield on April 6, they’ll host Wanstead in the first round of the Papa John’s Counties 1 Championship on Saturday, April 13.
Marlow suffered their heaviest defeat of the season as they went down to a 68-3 defeat at leaders Amersham & Chiltern on Saturday.
Having secured their survival in recent weeks with key home wins over Fullerians and Aylesbury, Rory GreensladeJones’s side will be keen to see the season out on a positive note in their upcoming matches against Hemel Hempstead on Saturday, and Old Priorians on Saturday, April 6.
Marlow travelled to Amersham with what GreensladeJones’s feared might be an understrength side, and they weren’t able to live with a team that’s looking to wrap up the Regional 2 Thames title at the weekend.
Amersham ran in a host of tries to claim their 15th win from 18 league matches this season. They hold a six-point lead over closest rivals Belsize Park, who they visit this weekend. Win that and Amersham will clinch the title as well as promotion, however, a victory for Belsize Park would take the title race to the final weekend of the season.
Marlow remain ninth in the table on points difference from
Aylesbury. This Saturday, they host fifth-placed Hemel Hempstead who’ve won eight and lost eight of their 18 clashes
this season. They then round off what’s been a season of consolidation and transition with a visit to Old Priorians.