SSE NATIONAL 3 (LSE)
DORKING 16 v 12 THURROCK
RUGBY can sometimes be a very cruel game, and when you concede a try in the closing moments of normal time for the second time this season it really hurts, Thurrock led league leaders Dorking for the whole of the match until it mattered when Dorking Fly half Pimlow beat two men and a missed tackle to score in the corner to take the lead for the first time in the match, the conversion was short, so was the injury time which gave the visitors no chance to try and win the game.
Thurrock started off much the better of the two sides, keeping Dorking on the back foot and fine run from James Kellard, and a perfect chip over the top from fly half Ian Rudgeley gave wing Sam Boshell the chance to run into the space and score in the corner. Frankie Neale was short with the conversion just as we was minutes previous with a long range penalty.
Home scrum half Mumford kept the home side in the game with a simple penalty, but Thurrock came straight back and it was Kellard again who gave a perfectly timed pass to wing Jake Barrand to score in the corner, Frankie Neale added the extras with a touchline conversion. It nearly got even better for Thurrock an interception from Rudgeley and the pass to Kellard see him tackles just inches short of the line but Dorking held out and the visitors failed to capitalise on the chance.
Mumford added another penalty close to the break, after treatment to home full back Tyler and Sam Boshell, both of whom left the field following a clash of heads
Thurrock in the second half had to contend with a prominent slope and for the first quarter held out way, until a wayward pass allowed Dorking back Vermont to run into the corner to bring them to with a point. From this point on Thurrock defended with great endeavour, even a spate of 5 metre scrums they held out and it looked it was going to be there day, until that fateful final minute.
If they continue to keep playing with the intensity shown in this match Thurrock will be well out of the relegation dogfight that may be a possibility over the coming weeks
TEAM: Neale, Boshell (Farrell 34m), Pruce, Burcham, Barrand, Rudgeley, Cook, North, Durrance, Bevans-Royston, Flavin, Cooper-Hicks, Timson, Kellard, Rettigan REP Ellis, Rate both not used
Thurrock are at AWAY to WESTCOMBE PARK this Saturday, kick off is 2.00pm
This game was re-arranged from 26th January
