Harwich & Dovercourt Rugby Club produced a spirited display on Saturday but ultimately fell to a narrow 31–22 defeat against Witham Rugby Club in an entertaining and hard-fought contest.

Harwich started brightly and took an early lead through Lex Walls, who crossed the line after sustained early pressure to give the hosts a deserved advantage. However, Witham responded emphatically, hitting back with two quick tries to swing the momentum and put Harwich on the back foot.

Showing resilience, Harwich worked their way back into the contest. A powerful hit-up from Lewis Kerly saw him crash over the line to narrow the gap and keep the scoreboard ticking. Once again, Witham had the answer, adding another try to extend their lead before the break.

The second half saw a determined Harwich side raise their intensity. Two well-executed tries from Andrew Sterry and Sean Mills brought the home side right back into contention, closing the score to 24–22 in Witham’s favour and setting up a tense final quarter.

With the game finely balanced, Harwich pushed hard for the go-ahead score. Unfortunately, the final ten minutes proved decisive. Two yellow cards reduced Harwich to 13 men, and Witham capitalised on the numerical advantage, adding a late try to secure a 31–22 victory.

Despite the result, it was a strong and committed performance from Harwich, who showed character and attacking quality throughout, man of the match deservedly went to Paul Sewell for his relentless work during the game. With that level of effort, results will surely follow in the coming fixtures.

Harwich’s next fixture see them travel to Millwall RUFC on the 28th February.