Bancroft28

Westcliff7

(Eastern Counties Two)AN AWESOME display from the Bancroft pack gave them the platform for a gritty victory.

In front of a large crowd, in cold but good conditions, the forwards took the game to Westcliff and did not give their opponents an inch throughout the game.

The first try came after 15 minutes, when a drive initiated by Nick Lakin and Phil Angel saw the ball end up in the hands of Ben Ryall to score in the corner.

Soon afterwards Bancroft scored the try of the game. From just inside the visitors' half, a centre field double switch put Stewart de-Vere Hunt through a gap, and good support from Lakin and Levoir fed Leck to cross the line for an unconverted try.

The final points of the half came from individual skills. Angel, in a welcome return, stole a ball in the scrum, Jamie Coomber ran left and Lakin picked up from the base and went right, chipped over the flat defence, and Levoir chasing the kick, juggled the ball but held on, and beat the defence for the try.

As expected Westcliff attacked with vigour from the restart and five minutes in a lapse in concentration by the hosts gifted them a very scrappy converted score.

From that point on, the home team's defence stood strong under considerable pressure.

Having absorbed so much pressure, Bancroft moved up the pitch and King kicked one of two penalty attempts, to ease the tension.

In the final ten minutes Bancroft snuffed out all of Westcliff's hopes. Again another incursion by the forwards gave the backs quality ball and an overlap.

The defenders were fixed and the ball was slung wide, where Neil Cook picked up, resisted the temptation to cut in, and ran ahead for an easy try.

The finishing touch was added by Dougie Raine, who put in a solid tackle on his man at half way adn saw his pack turn over the ball. Raine picked up, and went to the short side, sold a great dummy, and galloped fully 40 metres to cross the line with no defender able to get near him.

Levoir missed the two points, but Bancroft had triumphed with some style.

Bancroft: Driver, Angel, Jones, Rained, Wiseman (Drew), Thame, De-Vere Hunt (White), Lakin (Paterson), Coomber, King, Cook, Levoir, Leck, Ryall, Lowe

December 13, 2001 13:51