Old Albanians 10 - Dorking 23
By Jon Watts
Dorking Secure Hard Fought Victory in the Final 20
Dorking travelled to Old Albanians in good spirits after a well-deserved two week break following 7 wins from 7 games in the first quarter of the season. With that statistic comes the pressure of expectation, but with both home and away victories by 10 points last season the Red & Whites were quietly confident as they travelled up the M1 to St Albans. Old Albanians are a well respected club who have been in the National leagues for the last dozen or so years. They have really excellent facilities shared with premiership side Saracens; the pitch was soft but in very good condition, especially when you consider the rains of biblical proportion over the last week.
Dorking received the kick off and the match quickly settled into a kicking game where both sides tested each other with some accurate aerial bombardments. Both sides fielded well and cleared their lines - all pretty even and middle of the field stuff. A penalty to Dorking just inside the OA half saw Henry Anscombe put the first points on the board with a mighty thump. 0-3. The restart saw more of the same aerial ping pong until Captain Fred Dalton opened up the OA defence with a characteristic shrug-off and go, linking with the ever present Tom Howe who was stopped just short of the try line. A quick recycle of the ball and a lovely lobbed pass out to Toby Mcrae saw the winger to dab down and an Anscombe conversion. 0-10
Old Albanians were stung into a reaction and noticeably upped the tempo. They were certainly pressing the Dorking 22 when a gathered chip by the OA centre caught Tom Howe in an upright position leading to an unintentionally high tackle and a yellow card. Down to 14 players Dorking defended well but numbers eventually told and OAs crossed the line for a try - only to be brought back for a forward pass. A Dorking penalty from the ensuing scrum and the ball was kicked deep into the home team’s half, one of many superb clearance kicks from the back three during the course of the game. Further OA pressure and a very well judged kick down the touch line set their winger in for a certain try, only for the bounce of the ball to deny him. On such margins…. Riding their luck and restored to 15 players it was Dorking’s turn to go on the offensive and as they stole the home team’s line out and pressed the try line a further score looked certain but for an unfortunate knock-on with the line begging just before the half time whistle.
Half time 0-10
OAs come out fired up for the second half and set up camp in Dorking territory. This pressure was rewarded with a penalty on the 22 making the score 3-10, but an immediate penalty reply by Dorking’s Anscombe, also from the 22 restored the 10 point gap in his side’s favour.
Old Albanians have a very solid scrum, a good line out, good tactical kicking and solid defence, but despite this the Red and Whites always looked as if they could turn the screw and take the match, it was just a question of if and when they would. As the game entered the final quarter a long penalty kick to touch from Anscombe put them 7 m out and a great catch and drive from the ensuing line out followed by a series of pick and goes put Jasper King over out wide. With the conversion missed it was a more comfortable 3 - 18.
This seemed to settle the Dorking side and with more possession they began to control the game. Another couple of scintillating breaks from Captain Dalton kept the momentum going as they continued to pressure the OA line as another series of pick and goes from the forwards gave King his second of the day. With Anscombe’s conversion just shading the posts it was 3 – 23 with 10 minutes to go. Further Dorking pressure from the re start saw them come close once more as Tom Howe was again stopped short by the tight and disciplined OA defence.
The home team had the last word when a defensive mix up in the Dorking back line and a pirouetting OA right winger slipped through for a try under the posts and a conversion in the dying seconds of the match. Final whistle; 10-23.
An enjoyable game to watch and perhaps it’s fair to say that Dorking left a bonus point out on the pitch. Having said that, this could easily have been a slip-up game and respect to a solid and skilful Old Albanian side who never let up.
Next Week Dorking host an in form Bury St Edmunds at The Big Field, kick off 2.30pm
DoR Armand Roux commented:
I’m really pleased with the win today. The conditions was testing for both sides and we had some patches where momentum was not with us, so the fact that we held them out to 3 points until the 80th Minute was pleasing for me.
Amazing group effort from the squad and not only the 20 that was there today. We know we got some challenges on the Horizon and OA’s was one where we really needed to dig a little deeper after a 2 week break.
We got way more in the tank and no better time than to go and show it.
Great support as always and still claim the best traveling support in the league!
Team:
Cowell, Saunders, Howe, Anscombe, McRae, Holland, Jackson, Bristow, Ellis, Connor, Howorth, King, Jardine, Dalton ©, Osborne, Birch, Stephenson, Chambers, Smith, Mosley, Watson
