Sat 13 Jan 2024
Maldon were on the road again, this time a long journey to Chingford, who were keen to avenge their defeat to Maldon earlier in the season.
Maldon were keen to avoid the start to the game that they had last week, going 7-0 down early on. However, Maldon went down 7-0 early on, for one simple reason, poor defence. Maldon then woke up & started to compete. Winger Dan Allen showed aggression in attack by running hard & straight, upsetting the Chingford prop in the process. Fellow winger Sam Johnson, soon after, showed that all his kick & chase practice was worth it, as he used the overlap to draw the full-back, chipped over the top & touched down for a try. Captain Joshua Chadwick converted from the touchline, silencing the crowd who questioned his kicking ability. Soon after George Perkins was replaced due to injury. Chris Roper came on, immediately making friends with his opposite prop and teaching him a thing or two about scrummaging.
Both teams failed to understand some decisions, but Chingford played this better than Maldon, by gaining territory & maintaining possession, resulting in another score, 12-7. Yet again, Maldon’s tackling was poor at times, giving Chingford too many opportunities to gain ground.
Some improvements with ball in hand allowed Maldon to gain entry to the Chingford 22 & 2nd row Chris Hadfield carried bodies with him & as he reached close to the try-line, allowing the backs lots of space for Sam Langston to cross the line, 12-12. Unfortunately, a split forehead during his great drive forwards saw Chris Hadfield bloodied, and ultimately replaced by a returning Ben Marshall.
Chingford kicked off, Maldon moved the ball wide & Dan Allen ran round one defender, through another defender, dummied a kick & left 3 more defenders clutching at his shadow as he scored underneath the posts for a superb individual try, converted by Joshua Chadwick, 12-19. Amazingly, despite playing poorly for much of the half, Maldon were in front at half-time.
The second half started with improvements immediately, as tackles were better & commitment was evident. Line-out ball was more secure & the scrum started to dominate. Communication between defenders gave players more confidence too. Chingford spent a long time inside the Maldon 22, but did not cross the line at all during this half. They were restricted to one penalty kick, scoring only 3 points in the second half. They were given a yellow card for a punch, as tempers frayed a little &, later on, a second yellow card for a high tackle. Maldon absorbed the Chingford attack, repelling them regularly & clearing the ball well when needed. Towards the end of the game Maldon gained territory, but, with a lead of only 4 points, the game was still in the balance. But, a great surge forward from centre Olly Lyons, who carried the ball with immense strength, caused defenders to leave their positions. This produced quick ball for Dan Allen to cross with ease in the corner, 12-24. The end of the game saw a strong scrum from Maldon & first phase ball moved wide for substitute winger Alex Davis to cross in the final play of the game, 15-29.
MAN OF THE MATCH -
Olly Lyons for physicality, consistent defending, and great hands in attack.
