Bracknell 1st vs Basingstoke 1st

Basingstoke 17 Bracknell 14

As expected, this eagerly awaited local derby was keenly competed and at times very robustly by two teams who clearly wanted to win to confirm their own ambitions forward from this game. Jim Kelly, Basingstoke's coach and prop, being an ex Bracknell stalwart added an extra edge to the game. Bracknell did not start the game very smartly by giving a penalty away in the first minute for going over the top, this was duly dispatched. Brack had a good chance to level on five minutes but the penalty went just wide. The lineout was working well and from one, Bracknell were given a penalty to put the scores level. Bracknell suffered a blow when Kyle Lovell had to go off with a blood injury and although he was to later return he was not able to finish the match due to the referee insisting he retire.

The match was a scrappy affair in the first twenty minutes, Bracknell again missed a kickable penalty, followed soon after by Basingstoke going ahead again, with a try after winning a maul on the 22, a missed tackle letting in the score, which was converted. Bracknell upped the pressure at this point but a few scoring chances were squandered, a two man overlap was wasted and despite an eye catching intercept by McKenzie a knock on in the tackle allowed 'stoke to regroup. On the half hour Barry was sin binned for stamping, reversing a penalty kick which would have been in front of the posts.

A grubber kick down the opposite wing by Clarke again released McKenzie but the 'stoke defence just managed to ground the ball. Half time Basingstoke 10 Bracknell 3

Bracknell came out for the second half with more determination and exerted presure on 'stoke and almost immediately were awarded a penalty to reduce the arrears. The pressure was beginning to tell and it was Basingstoke's turn to give away penalties around the rucks, a kick to touch gave a line out on the 30 metre mark, the lineout won, stoke gave away a penalty at the resulting maul. Brack were now back in the game at 10- 9 and looking good to go on and win. After the ball had been moved down the line from 30 metres and a Mckenzie run down the wing the winger scored an unconverted try, to put Bracknell into the lead 10-14.

The tension boiled over, halfway through the second half a scuffle resulted in Surman being sin binned along with ex player Kelly. Soon after Lovell went off due to his injury for the second and last time, Clarke returning to the field. Even though a man down Bracknell were still looking for the win, and continued to press until what looked like a legitimate charge down and which Bracknell grounded the ball the referee decided to call the infringement a "knock on". Bracknell continued to pressn again and again but could not secure the breakthrough and with time running out Basingstoke scored a well worked try utilising their wing to score, running in under the posts for a converted try. Bracknell had about three minutes left and managed to keep the ball alive through a number of phases in so far as McKenzie had another blistering run down the wing to be high tackled a meter out and again the referee choosing the ball to be out of play in favour of Stoke. Furthermore Bracknell knocked on from the lineout and the resulting scrum allowed 'stoke to put the ball into touch and the referee blew for full time giving Basingstoke victory 17-14.

It was probably not much of a consolation securing the bonus point as Bracknell slipped to fourth in the league, the next match being against Dorking who are one place above them, so there is still plenty to play for.

Come on Bracks lets get our heads on !