Another defeat sees away day woes continue for misfiring Bracknell
Cleve 32 Bracknell 23
BRACKNELL’S away day woes continued with defeat at fellow strugglers Cleve.
Jamie Turner’s side have won just twice this season and now sit 12th in the table having lost all five games on the road.
The latest disappointment came at a Cleve outfit who themselves had won just two games this campaign ahead of the weekend.
Bracknell were forced into changes from their win over Camborne the previous Saturday with Callum Lee switching to second row while Giuseppe Salustri came in to start.
And they got off to a good start in Somerset, taking an early 6-0 lead through two Vic Hardwicke penalties.
But their lead did not last long with Chris McCann going over for the hosts.
With the wind and rain increasing, Bracknell dug in to retake the lead through Salustri following a line-out.
A Lachlan Kirk penalty reduced the arrears and there was just enough time for Cleve to go 15-11 ahead at the break when winger Ubi Onyekwelu dotted down.
Bracknell were dealt a blow soon after the restart when Cam McDonald was sent to the sin bin after illegally bringing down his opposing winger with a penalty try also awarded.
But Ken Dowling kept the visitors in the contest, scoring from another catch and drive with Hardwicke’s conversion good.
It was soon 14-a-side when Cleve number eight Neil Evans was also carded, but the hosts managed to see out the period without score.
Both teams were soon back up to full strength and it was
Cleve who powered clear, scoring two more tries through Harry Owens and Max Baker and while Chris Laidler came on to set up McDonald to score, the game was long gone for Bracknell.
“We played well in patches but made far too many mistakes and errors that cost us,” said director of rugby Turner.
“We need to learn quickly from this to cut these out.”
Bracknell host Drybrook on Saturday (2.15pm).
BRACKNELL: Hills, McDonald, Burch, Nacamavutu, Segre, Hardwicke, Franklin, Bellman, Clarke (c), Dowding, Bailey,
Lee, Salustri, Sanderson, Gibbons. Reps: Ovens, Stevenson-Leigh, Laidler.