Mistley 25 v Harwich & Dovercourt 31

The home team started brightly and had the visitors under pressure from the kick off.

Mistley’s pack combined well with their backs and kept Harwich pinned in their own half for most of the first quarter, forcing a penalty from the visitors in front of the posts which was slotted over for the opening score. Harwich began to rally and were proving dangerous on the counter attack but the Mistley defence remained resolute. Two superb breaks by the Mistley centres were thwarted by a couple of magnificent tackles by the Harwich full back Morgan Burley. These incidents seemed to galvanise the Harwich team and a break from his own 22 saw Robert Edgar make some good ground before passing to Mills Snr, who proved you can teach an old dog new tricks by passing to Tom Kite for the first try of the match. It was converted by Sam Jewell to give the visitors a 7 – 3 lead.

The game flowed from one end of the pitch to the other with most of the pressure coming from the home team but the Harwich defence stayed strong until just before half time when Mistley scored a well worked try that was converted for a 10 – 7 lead at half time.

Harwich made some changes at the break but conceded a tryat the start of second half to go eight points down but a powerful run from Michael Scarfe from half way saw him scatter several Mistley players in his wake before touching down in the corner. The home team responded strongly and only some last gasp tackles from Manning, Matt Green and Jack Gray held them out before Mistley’s speedy winger cut in to score near the posts to allow for an easy conversion to extend the lead to 22 -12.

Back came Harwich and kept the home side pinned in their own half. Helped by some poor indiscipline from Mistley, the visitors took a series of tap penalties near the Mistley line and from one of these Josh Leeks crashed over for a try. From the kick off Harwich continued to pressure the home team whose indiscipline continued to cost them ground. From a ruck in the Mistley 22, the ball was given to James Cullen who produced a textbook show and go to score a try converted by Olley Bray. Harwich were back in front by two points.

Mistley responded strongly but the Harwich defence again and again repelled the attacks. With less than ten minutes to go, Mistley were awarded a penalty near the posts. The kick put them back in lead 25 -24.
Strong running by Scarfe, the Green brothers and good handling by the backs kept Harwich in the hunt. With a couple of minutes to go a break by Scarfe led to the ball going through three or four Harwich hands and a stretchedMistley defence could not prevent Josh Aldridge from going over for the winning try. The conversion by Olley Bray signalled the final whistle in a highly competitive and enthralling match.