H&D 15 - Burnham-on-Crouch 12

In a thrilling encounter on the Low Road, Harwich & Dovercourt secured a hard-fought victory against previously undefeated league leaders Burnham-on-Crouch. As anticipated, the match lived up to its billing, captivating the spectators who lined the touchline. It was a clash of two teams that wanted to play expansive rugby in a match that was fiercely contested. This was also a special occasion for both club and player, which saw Josh Leeks playing his last home fixture for Harwich & Dovercourt.

The home side started strongly and soon opened the scoring, when scrum-half Lewis Williams darted through Burnham's defense, followed by Sam Parker's successful conversion, putting them ahead 7-0. Continuing their dominance, Cameron Clark bulldozed his way over the try line from the base of a ruck to extend the lead to 12-0. Lewis Williams then added a penalty kick to make it 15-0 at halftime.

Despite the deficit, Burnham-on-Crouch launched a relentless assault on the Harwich & Dovercourt defense in the second half. They managed to breach their opponents' defense with a converted try, closing the gap to 15-7 with twenty minutes remaining. The second half saw both teams reduced to 14 players after receiving yellow cards. The home side had plenty of possession in their opponents' twenty-two, but failed to convert possession into points. The final quarter saw both teams battling fiercely, but it was Burnham who scored another try in the dying moments of the game, making it a tense finish at 15-12.

However, Harwich & Dovercourt held on to secure the victory, showcasing a resilient defense and commendable teamwork from both forwards and backs. Oli Bray's standout performance in the set-piece earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.

With their sights set on a strong finish to the season, Harwich & Dovercourt will travel to South Woodham Ferrers for their final league fixture, aiming to clinch second place in the Counties 2 Essex (North) league with a win.