Tough away day for Harwich

Both teams having not lost all season meant it was going to be a close encounter.

Colchester kicked off in miserable conditions with most supporters preferring to watch from the comfort of the club house. The game was an arm wrestle for the first twenty minutes with both teams enjoying periods in the others half. Colchester were using their quick backline to great effect with forwards Jack Cairns and Robert Edgar making many tackles.
Colchester then we're the first to score after kicking a penalty from in front of the post. Harwich were next to score through a well taken penalty to Shaun Fox to level the scores at 3 points all.
With the conditions deteriorating mistakes were common place. With many scrums and lineouts, the game was not a great spectacle. Colchester then scored the first try of the game after a lot of pressure on the Harwich line, try converted for a 10-3 to Colchester.
Harwich then briefly enjoyed some time in possession and built some pressure which resulted in a penalty kick taken by Fox for a half time score of 10- 6 to Colchester.

Harwich knew they would have to improve every facet of their game if they wanted to gain the victory. Harwich began to show some promise with Simon Palmer, John Skargon and Josh Jones having many promising runs. To Colchester’s credit however Harwich were unable to score.
Colchester then turned Harwich around and scored two quick tries. One after some naive play at the back of a scrum resulted in a charged down kick with a try to the Colchester 6, and then another to the same player after he was tackled but managed to reach out and score. With one of the tries converted the score was 22-6.
Harwich tried to chase the game but we're unable to cross the Colchester line. With the final whistle Colchester celebrated their win as they now are the only undefeated side in Eastern Counties 2.
Harwich however know they have missed a golden chance to sit atop the league. Harwich must now take any positives they can from the game as they look forward to a huge fortnight of games with back to back fixtures against their close neighbours Mistley, with one game in the league and the other the Final of the Suffolk Plate, both games to be played away at Mistley.
Report by Shane Manning