Worthing beat Shelford to go fourth

WORTHING Raiders Rugby Club moved up to fourth place in National 2 South on Saturday after a hard-fought 21-13 win over Shelford at Roundstone Lane.

It was Raiders’ fourth win from their five league games and their third in succession at home, and coach Will Green said: “It was a fantastic win. We were really good and I’m really pleased.

“They were a big unit and were very good up front, so there was no hiding from us and it’s a very good win, which I’m delighted with and it was a full 20-man performance as everyone got stuck in.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Things are going well so far this season. We’ve had a lot of players come through and stepped up and I’ve been very impressed with them.”

There were three yellow cards in the first half, two to Worthing, as the game never really flowed.

Adam Daly kicked an early penalty to give Shelford the lead but Raiders’ Matt McLean levelled on five minutes with a penalty of his own.

In heavy rain, Worthing’s defence held firm under pressure in the opening stages and Raiders went ahead on 12 minutes. Jack Maslen pressurised Shelford’s Paul Bullen-Brown and his pass was intercepted by Joe Govett, who side-stepped the last man and touched down for the second successive game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McLean was off target with a close-range conversion and Raiders had Alex Nielsen sinbinned on 20 minutes for holding the ball too long.

Shelford made the extra man count immediately when Redmond Newberry was driven over but Daly’s conversion dropped wide.

Things were levelled up on 27 minutes when Shelford had Scott Jakowski sinbinned and McLean kicked Worthing into the lead three minutes later with his second penalty of the game.

As soon as Nielsen had returned to the action, Worthing had Pete Cleveland yellow carded for coming from an offside position but they finished the half 11-8 up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Raiders were rewarded for their quick start to the second half on 46 minutes when McLean put over a penalty and they increased their lead midway through the half.

McLean and Richard Briggs did well, before Finlay Coxon-Smith went over under the posts and McLean added the extras to make it 21-8.

Shelford responded when Grant Anderson went over with 13 minutes left but Daly put the conversion attempt wide.

Shelford had the chance to get a bonus point in the closing stages by reducing the losing margin to just five points but Daly’s penalty went wide and their day then got even worse when Chris Yeoman was red carded in the final seconds of the game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Paul Webster, who has previously played for London Scottish, Sam Pitchford and Joe Shopland all made their home debuts for Raiders.

Worthing now host another of the division high-flyers, sixth-placed Southend, who lost 25-23 at home to Taunton at the weekend, this Saturday.

WORTHING: Govett, Nielsen, Briggs, McLean, Maslen, Dudley, Marsh; Bruce, Cleveland, Webster, May, Pitchford, Coxon-Smith, Redmayne, Arthur. Subs: Shopland (Coxon-Smith, hooker replacement, 32-42), Shopland (Cleveland 52), Hewick (May 55), Metters (Dudley, blood replacement, 63-64), Burns, Costigan (Marsh, Webster 66).

n Raiders’ Charlie McGowan was suspended from playing for four weeks by the Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel on Thursday evening.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McGowan was cited by Westcombe Park after the opening National 2 South game of the season on September 4, and was found guilty of striking an opponent.

His four-week ban goes back to September 23 and will run to October 21 and Worthing coach Will Green was disappointed with the panel’s decision.

McGowan will be eligible to play again for Raiders’ home game against Dings Crusaders on October 23.

Related topics: