Ipswich YM 18 Harwich and Dovercourt 23

Ipswich YM 18 Harwich and Dovercourt 23

Champions of division two last year and newly promoted, Ipswich YM were more than ready to take on their old foe Harwich. And for half the game it appeared that Ipswich were going to ruin Harwich’s good start to the season. Ipswich were in for a shock, however, coming up against a determined and focused Harwich side.

The first half started well for Harwich when for the first ten minutes they were encamped in the Ipswich half. With the pressure mounting Ipswich gave away a penalty which Sam Male sent over from 30 yards. After this Ipswich started to find their rhythm and two minutes later scored through the centre. With the try converted Ipswich were now in the lead. At this point the Harwich pack were struggling against a well drilled Ipswich set of forwards but with some hard words form the Harwich skipper Paul Sewell Harwich started to settle.
Halfway through the first half Harwich were on the attack again with centre Simon Keen making a good run down the right which resulted in a Harwich penalty. Male once again punched the ball through the posts to make the score 7-6. But soon after a series of missed tackles by the Harwich forwards led to an Ipswich penalty which was duly deposited. Ipswich now had a 4 point lead.

Ipswich were now on the attack. With persistent off sides and infringements by Harwich the referee was forced to take action and sin bin the unlucky Joe Francis, who had only just come on the pitch for the injured Adrian Dalby. The penalty was converted by Ipswich making the score 13-6 with things looking ominous for the fourteen Harwich players left on the pitch. But once again this young Harwich side came back with a penalty sent over the posts by Male to make the score 13-9 at half time.

Harwich started the second half looking much the better team. Within minutes an Ipswich player was yellow carded, for being offside, but the penalty was missed. Simon Palmer, the Harwich flanker who has been injured for two seasons, showed what Harwich had missed in that time with a storming run through the centre where six Ipswich players failed to stop him. It wasn’t long before the pressure paid off when flyhalf Kyle Hutchins kicked through behind the Ipswich defence for Robert Edgar, who had a huge game in the pack and loose, to pick up and score. With Male converting Harwich were now 16-13 up in this breathlessly exciting game.

But yet again Ipswich came back with a try of their own in the corner. With the conversion missed Ipswich were now in the lead 18-16. Harwich did not let their heads drop at any time. Rallying again they began to put pressure on the Ipswich defence and it was a try by man of the match, Julius Abwanzo, who finally broke Ipswich’s spirit. Picking the ball up on the Ipswich 22 Abwanzo jinked past 5 Ipswich players before scoring by the posts. With the conversion scored by Male Harwich were now 23-18 in the lead and in control. Francis was finding space in the centre of the park to make some searing runs through the Ipswich defence which might have resulted in easy tries if not for a variety of handling errors by the Harwich side. With time running out Ipswich had once last concerted push at the Harwich defence but it was to avail. Harwich had one a pulsating and exciting game with all due credit to the Ipswich side.

This week Harwich entertain the league leaders Southwold at Low Road. Kick off is at 3pm.