Painful day trip as rapier thrusts put team to sword (From Enfield Independent)

Painful day trip as rapier thrusts put team to sword

5:00pm Wednesday 1st October 2008

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RUGBY

Enfield Ignatians 7
Thurrock 27

ENFIELD IGNATIANS had a painful away day in Essex where the rapier thrusts of the Thurrock backs put the visitors to the sword, pushing them into second bottom place in the table, writes Jonathan Landi.

Despite the defeat, coach Ali Cook preferred to look for the positive.

“After the Chelmsford loss, our pack really stepped up to the mark and dominated their opposite numbers for huge tracts of the game”, he said.

“We had a good opportunity to score from a catch and drive earlier in the game, which we botched.

"However, Thurrock were the more clinical side and deserved their victory.”

An even first half was punctuated by a solitary score and it was Thurrock that drew first blood on the half-hour mark when a daring counter-attack from their own 22 yielded an excellent score for Ben Stanley.

Ignatians got off to the worst possible start in the second half. They turned over possession after a drop-out and paid a high price after the hosts created the space for winger Nathan Farrell to go over for a converted score.

The visitors were under further pressure and could have conceded again but they coughed up a penalty instead, which proved a formality for Aaron Burns.

Ignatians derailed twice more before the final whistle and were punished by Sam Porter and centre Sonny Gay, with the latter latching on to a neat chip from his fly-half.

Not that Ignatians ever gave up. Their forwards continued to graft throughout, and Chris Lyons, a flanker by trade, but forced to play out of position at centre after Matt Jones’ first-half injury, initiated a quality consolation score.

The in-form break took him to within five metres of the Thurrock line and although felled by a last-ditch tackle, Mickey Piper was on hand to force his way over for a deserved consolation try which he converted.

Ignatians entertain Brentwood on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ignatians seconds were soundly beaten 46-0 by Hertford thirds but Ignatians thirds restored some club pride with a thrilling 22-21 win over Tring thirds.

Team: D Watts, M Jalloh, D Linehan, A Gammon, M Jones (A Shield), M Piper, S Engelbrecht, C Lyons, R Laurence, D Hutchings, R Wyer, S Quinn, G Kendrick, R Peach (D Russell).

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