BECKENHAM entertained New Ash Green at Balmoral Avenue on Sunday on a chilly day otherwise perfect for rugby.
The visitors had something to prove as they looked to reverse a 60 point home defeat earlier in the season and they went a long way to achieving this as they made the Beckenham girls work hard for their 22-0 victory as they ended a seven game losing streak.
Beckenham started the stronger with Becki Hopkins, Alex Doyle and Sabrina Hammandou leading the forward drives and taking the game to their opponents.
Scrum half Ann Plews, was trying to release her backs but fine defence from the visitors meant that skipper Harriet Bold had to revert to a kicking game to make territory.
This was the pattern for the first half hour as New Ash Green disrupted and turned over possession at the breakdown when Beckenham seemed to getting the upper hand.
Gradually, Beckenham were able to alter their game plan, with Lotte Doyle finding Amy Hooton at ease in the lineout and with a plentiful supply of possession Beckenham started to use their pace to outflank their opponents.
Katie Smith and Breda Neville set up some good attacking positions and Plews spread the ball wide quickly to eventually release Sherri Long to run in from 30 metres for an unconverted try.
The second score quickly followed, Vicky King and Steph Nicholls worked well to turn the ball over in midfield and Bold quickly spread it wide to again release Sheree Long to run the ball in and score out wide.
Beckenham continued their forward momentum with Dave Milles showing no signs of her long term injury as she took the ball to their opponents.
Hooton was now starting to dominate the New Ash green lineout and from the resulting possession Beckenham were setting up good attacking platforms.
The pressure told on the visitors and after good work by Kirsty Long the supporting Lucy Checksfield found herself in space wide out on the right and she danced her way through to register a fine try and leave the half time score at 15 to 0.
The visitors regrouped in the second half and reorganised their defence and managed to work their way into the Beckenham half but a fine defensive effort from King, Nicholls and the Doyle sisters left them unrewarded.
Hopkins and Hammandu were making acres of ground with some punishing forward drives and Neville was starting to rediscover her old form in attack.
Eventually the visitors ran out of defenders and Smith was released and worked her way through to score.
Mills adding the extras for the last points of the game to leave the final score at 22-0 to the home side.
Coach Matt Yianni was delighted with the victory, particularly the way the players were able to adapt their game away from their opponents strengths.
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