Thanet Wanderers 10 v 24 Beckenham

Powergen London Division Two South

FRESH from victory in the Intermediate Cup Beckenham travelled to Broadstairs to take on Thanet Wanderers who were relegated from London Division One last season.

Beckenham's selection was hampered by the unavailability or injury of key players but once on the pitch they were always in control of the game and never looked like losing.

Thanet won the toss and elected to play down the slope in the first half.

They attacked from the kick-off but strong defence, a hallmark of Beckenham's play over the last eight weeks, repelled this initial attack.

Beckenham quickly established territorial advantage and were rewarded with a penalty for an offence at the breakdown.

This was missed by the normally reliable Pat Wright but it did not alter the momentum of the game.

Right-winger, Tim Whitehead demonstrated his and Beckenham's superiority when on a one-on-one with his opposite number he beat him easily after feinting right and going left.

Only desperate cover defence prevented what would have been a tremendous individual score.

Beckenham's first try came from Whitehead who finished a simple backs move and Wright converted.

Within moments Beckenham were 10-0 up when Wright slotted a simple penalty awarded when Thanet failed to stay on their feet at a ruck.

Thanet scored their first points from a penalty kicked by stand-off Gareth Redmond.

The score only served to spur Beckenham on and from a lineout the visitors won good ball and fed it wide.

Outside centre Leigh Woodcock easily brushed of a weak tackle and scored close to the posts making the conversion a formality for Wright.

The try forced Thanet into making an early substitution and centre Richard Case, a late selection, was taken off.

Beckenham nearly scored from the kick-off after Woodcock's try when lock Kelly Issac caught the kick-off at full pace and made 20 metres.

He found support on his outside with the ball being moved to Beckenham's pacy backs.

Once again only desperate cover defence prevented a score and at half time it was 3-17.

Thanet scored first in the second half after a period of good driving play through their forwards openside - Franz Wermaak scored with Redmond converting.

Beckenham quickly replied when, after a great break from scrum half Julian Rogers who was making his league debut, Beckenham were awarded a scrum in front of the posts.

From it and a subsequent ruck flanker Jared Field scored his first league try and Wright again converted.

As the half progressed the game became more disjointed and Beckenham's lineout, which had performed poorly all afternoon, disintegrated.

Beckenham resorted to running penalties and sent on Reggie Rayner at scrum half with instructions to change the play and run at Thanet.

This he did and several times he made good ground with his trademark sniping runs.

With less than 10 minutes to go Issac was shown yellow at a lineout for pulling down the Thanet jumper but by this stage the decision was to make no difference.

Beckenham ran out 10-24 winners which leaves them fourth in the league with a game in hand against all those ahead of them.

Coach Simon Kift said: "It's great to win, it is never easy to win here and to do so playing badly is great.

"We have work to do in training but I'm already looking forward to our next game."

Chairman Neil Millan added: "I'm delighted with this win and with the news our seconds also won to make their record 11 out of 11 in the league.

"We have a big weekend next week. Our firsts play Portsmouth who are second in the league and our seconds entertain Thanet, the only other unbeaten side in their league.

"Two wins would set us up nicely for the second half of the season."

Beckenham play Portsmouth at Balmoral Avenue next Saturday. Kick-off 2.30pm