Published: Wednesday, 12th November, 2008 08:00
Yellow cards cost Abbey dear
By Nigel Sutcliffe
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Wallingford 33, Reading Abbey 15
ABBEY’S slumped to their eighth South West 2 East defeat in as many matches – but victory had looked on the cards at half-time.
They had shown plenty of spirit to fight back and level at 10-10 by the interval but it all went wrong in the second half with sin-binnings reducing them to 13 men.
Next Saturday’s away clash with fellow strugglers Henley Wanderers is now a must win game.
Abbey came close to grabbing the lead after just two minutes when Jack Brown was hauled down just short of the line.
But the home side took the lead after six minutes when winger Jackson Sayce put over an easy penalty and this was quickly followed by a penalty try.
With the ball was hacked towards the Abbey try line, Drake impeded Wallingford winger Nick Risk and referee Chris Bartlett had no hesitation in awarding the score, Sayce converting.
Abbey bounced back with Hurst’s straightforward penalty and they began to look confident in attack.
They were rewarded at the end of the first quarter. A crosskick from Hunt was followed up by Brown, who pressurised Sayce into knocking on close to his own line.
From the ensuing scrum Hurst sent a deft kick over the line and winger Christoff Bart won the race to the ball to touch down for a his third try of the season to which Hurst added the extras.
Abbey, with their scrum looking much more solid, won plenty of possession without really threatening and Hurst could have put Abbey in front but failed with a tricky 38 metre penalty.
Four minutes into the second half, the Rosehill men went behind to a Sayce penalty and Wallingford gained confidence from this score.
Abbey had to defend desperately before Wallingford second row Paul Lewis barged over for a try and Sayce’s conversion put his side 20-10 up.
Yellow cards for first Joe Hallett then skipper Fungai Mutepfa snuffed out the Rosehill men’s challenge and from the latter incident Sayce put Wallingford three points further ahead.
They made the game safe when full back Henry Venners scored his side’s third try and Sayce showed off his long-range kicking skills again, striking a superb penalty from the half way line to extend Wallingford’s advantage.
Never-say-die Abbey ended the game with a stunning try. A flowing move involving Hunt, Eifion Robinson, Hurst and Arron Ross ended with Bart sprinting clear to score in the right corner.
Hunt’s reading of the game and encouragement of his younger players was admirable, while Burch played with great courage and passion.
Reading Abbey: Hunt: Brown (Gaspa-Rebul), Ross, Burch, Bart: Hurst, Drake: Clift, Williams (Charlton), Mutepfa, Hallett, McQuillan (Southwood), Bryson, Emmett, Robinson.
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