Gravesend 24-27 Cobham

AFTER this thrilling encounter, Gravesend will look at the final score line with some disbelief and wonder how did they mange to lose the game in the final minute.

Visitors Cobham came with a solid start to the season in their favour and in the opening minutes, showed some slick passing movements.

This early pressure resulted in Gs giving away a penalty which Cobham's Ross Davies put over to give the visitors an early lead.

Gravesend were back on equal terms within minutes when Gary Gray kicked a superb penalty from near the halfway line.

Cobham went ahead again after yet another penalty was given away in Gravesend’s half.

Ross Davies sent the kick wide, but lack of communication and a bizarre bounce in the in-goal area allowed winger Richie Blackmore to fall on the ball and score a try, which Davies converted.

From the restart, Gs took play to the opposition.

Winger Tom Bishop made a good run before transferring to lock Dan Abbey who crashed over, but the referee ruled he had been held up.

Going into the second quarter, Gs were now very much in the ascendency with the forwards exerting more control, allowing some penetrative runs by the backs.

Lack of precision and ruthlessness in the final phase allowed some great scoring opportunities to go amiss. Gravesend's pressure finally paid dividends when Gray put over a penalty near the uprights.

From the restart, Gs continued to apply pressure with good ball retention and they further reduced the deficit when Gray added another penalty to his tally.

Going into the final minutes of the half, play began to become more attritional with the referee agitating the supporters with some of her decisions.

Very much against the run of play, Cobham scored a breakaway try when, after some slick passing, winger Nick Sutton outflanked the Gs defence to score a converted try.

With great resolve Gs went back on the offensive and forwards Jamie Forsyth and Dan Abbey went close, but good tackling by Cobham's defenders kept them out.

At half-time, and with the elements against them in the second period, Gravesend must have been regretting the missed scoring chances, albeit difficult ones.

From the restart, Gs upped the tempo.

With good patience they went through several phases of good ball retention, but yet again scoring opportunities went amiss through dropped passes very close to the try line. Then came a wonderful passage of play.

Winger Tony Nolan collected a kick near the halfway line, quickly passed on to Ziggy Stevens, who made good ground to put Gary Gray into some space.

With a good turn of speed he sliced through the visiting defence to score wide out, although Gray was unable to add the extra points.

On their first visit to Gravesend’s 22m area, Cobham increased their lead when Ross Davies kicked an easy penalty when a visiting player was obstructed.

Again showing great resolve, Gs took the game to the visitors with some good inter-passing between forwards and backs.

Their efforts were justly rewarded after 20 minutes of play when centre Matt Weighman crossed over after great work by No. 8 Stevens.

Gray added the conversion with a great kick.

After working so hard to take the lead, could Gravesend play with discipline?

Forwards Forsyth, Abbey and Stevens made good ground and flanker Rob Hussey was conspicuous with his work in the tackle area.

The hosts were now totally dominant in all phases and only spirited defending kept them out.

Gravesend finally extended their lead when Gray added another penalty to his account.

With the game entering its final minutes, and with Gravesend’s supporters feeling every tackle, fielding every kick, catching every pass, Cobham gradually exerted pressure on Gs’ defence.

It was now Gravesend's turn to put in some big tackles.

Somehow the inevitable happened.

From a quickly-taken penalty just metres from Gravesend's line, the ball was moved along the line for Cobham's David MacCullum to score in the corner.

Ross Davies added the conversion with a great effort.

The final whistle went and Gravesend’s supporters looked on with great disbelief wondering how Cobham had managed to stage what amounted to daylight robbery.