St Albans First Team

Match Reports

SAINTS SHOCK DEFEAT OF WIMBLEDON IN LEAGUE CAPS THE WEEKS’ HISTORIC HERTS CUP WIN !! Sunday 21st January 2006

St.Albans 13 Wimbledon 0 .

Saints welcomed for the first time ever to Boggymead Spring , Wimbledon RFC for the return leg of their Powergen London North 2 League fixture.In their previous encounter in leafy London suburbia last October,Wimbledon ran out clear winners by 37 to 22. Today Wimbledon , third from top in the League and pushing for promotion take on Saints who are third from bottom with only League survival in mind.Wimbledon had won their Cup round the previous Sunday against arch rivals Old Midwhitgiftians. So with form, history and experience in their favour Wimbledon arrived by train then taxi in buoyant mood as huge odds on favourites.

Could Saints build on their historic first ever win over Old Albanians, in the Herts President’s Cup last Sunday, to produce a massive League upset?

Brilliant sunshine blessed this winter occasion ,8C with the softest of westerlies blowing from the Oaklands end down a firm but tacky pitch.

Referee Mr Kevin Vince ,just 25 years old from the home of the Union game , Rugby, got the contest under way.

Saints kicked off from the Vet’s end towards Oaklands and immediately the referee played a good advantage for Saints offside but had to bring play back to Wimbledon’s 22 for a penalty.Wimbledon prodded play to half way for an attacking lineout which they knocked on.Saints solid first scrum gave No10 John Andrews a chance to run and chip but again Saints were penalised for offside.

The cycle of kick,lineout and scrum continued until on 5 minutes Wimbledon forced a penalty but missed a fairly easy kick for goal from 24 metres out just to the left of Saints’ posts.Wimbledon edged the exchanges for the next 15 minutes with Saints conceding penalties,Wimbledon’s pack providing quick ball and everyone else from both sides conspiring to spoil it.

Wimbledon got to 10 metres of Saints line but County winger Ed “Exocet” Coy snapped up a loose ball and scorched the earth with a 50 metre touchline run then a chip ahead to take the pressure off.

The game went off the boil on 17 minutes as Wimbledon were forced to substitute their injured No13 for No 16.

Both sides had both by now tried short throw ins to the front of the lineout which didn’t travel far enough .Wimbledon were the only side to get one to work all game!

The stalemate was broken on 22 minutes when at a Saints lineout 30 metres from Wimbledon’s line ,County No 8 John Sayers supported by fellow backrow hardman Richard Louw drove ahead,went to ground and forced a penalty against Wimbledon for preventing release at the tackle.

Reliable No 13 Mark Kentish coolly kicked the 3 points to take Saints into a lead they would never relinquish.

On 25 minutes Saints 3 Wimbledon 0.

This galvanised Wimbledon and following some good pick and drive by their pack they fed their No14 speedster,arguably the fastest man on the field, on a brilliant mazy run clean through the Saints’ back line to their 22.

With a Wimbledon 7 points a near certainty, Saints 26 year old No7 South African flanker Richard Louw showed why he was arguably also the fastest man on the paddock as he cut Wimbledon’s No14 down with a fine catch up tackle.

On 30 minutes Wimbledon had clawed to 10 metres from Saint’s line where their throw in to the lineout was stolen by young backrow Ollie “Smash and Grab” Cooper-Millar but the ball was then lost to touch.

A set piece Wimbledon lineout move saw their full back on the crash ball stopped by tight Saints offensive defence which eventually resulted in a Saints penalty.Scrum half Gareth Day’s quick tap and go gained an extra 10 metres for Wimbledon not retreating but they were not out of danger.

On 34 minutes Wimbledon stole a Saints lineout and rumbled forward but spilled the ball,full back Joe Shaw putting in a good pressure relieving kick- the referee consistently playing good advantage.

On 37 minutes a bizarre incident occurred during a break in play as a lineout was forming.Someone kicked the ball high in the air in the general direction of the lineout touch where it struck the home Touch Judge Official’s left eye and spectacles causing him,according to a visiting spectator to “ go down like a sack of spuds” in the field of play!Generous concern and relief all round as the Old Boy was restored,albeit with a cut and bruising above the left eye, to the action but some dismay by a percentage of his senior home colleagues who would now STILL have to read TWO of his Match Reports on the Saints’ Website within the space of 6 days!

On 40 minutes play resumed with a Wimbledon lineout which developed into an attacking scrum to the visitors 5 metres out head on to Saints’ posts.

The play then summed up the half.Wimbledon’s pack took a good solid heel but made not an inch forward.Their player/coach No 8 Julian Ayton picked up and drove but lacking support was tackled by the immense Saints back row reception and conceded Wimbledon’s best chance of 7 points to take the lead,by being penalised for holding on in the tackle.

A pressure relieving kick by Saints’ No 10 John Andrews brought an end to a dour, occasionally eventful first half .Too many mistakes all round where overall Wimbledon had not exploited ample possession and position and turned round 3 points down but certainly anyone’s game.

Half Time Score. St.Albans 3 Wimbledon 0 .

At the break ,Saints’ coach Tim Andrews repeated the same team talk from 6 days earlier that the game was there for the taking.He reinforced the increasingly strong team belief since Sunday that they would triumph as considerable underdogs yet again if they kept their discipline , nerve and momentum until the final whistle.

The knowledgeable partisan 100+ crowd basking in the Clubhouse sunshine, assisted by a well stocked bar ,contemplated whether their Patron ,Alban,had enough gas left in his tank to perhaps influence this result too after his exertions last Sunday.

Wimbledon started the second half dropping out towards the westerly Oaklands end.The visitors meant business as they threw in a couple of backs to support their pack’s rolling maul but a streetwise left winger James Dickinson forced a Wimbledon scrum .

On 43 minutes Saints’ young South African hooker Brenton Lemiere took the one and only strike against the head all game ,which resulted in a Saints lineout 8 metres inside Wimbledon’s half.

Saints lost their own lineout and went under the Wimbledon cosh in their own half and often their own 22 for the next 13 minutes.