Sat 6 Apr 2024
Maldon travelled to Mavericks for the final league game of the season, a win would possibly bring about a top half finish.
The game was played in very blustery conditions, with the wind blowing strongly & Maldon played with the elements & the slope in the first half. They started strongly, with good running & good ball retention. The wind made line-outs difficult but the scrums were solid, as usual. Mavericks defended well, not missing tackles & competing at rucks. Good kicking by Sam Langston gave Maldon field position & from the resulting line-out Maldon ran through a couple of phases. A Bradley White chip over the defensive line freed up Joshua Chadwick, who crossed the line, & converted his own try to give Maldon the first score, 0-7. Centre Zak Knight had taken a knock in the build up & went off injured, Dimitri Sofoclous came into the back row, Jamie Farrup moved to centre. Mavericks responded well, they kicked cleverly & ran the ball when needed. From a scrum Mavericks ran a move that created a break & good support play saw them score, 7-7.
Maldon continued to use the elements well, again, playing in Mavericks’ half. More good play allowed Dimitri Sofoclous to score a try, converted by Chadwick, 7-14. This was the score for most of the remainder of the first half, until the last play of the half, which saw a strange penalty awarded to Mavericks, who kicked it for a score of 10-14.
Maldon knew that they would be against the wind & the slope in the second half, so were prepared for this. They started superbly, keeping possession & playing through the phases, without rushing the play. This positivity was rewarded, as they created space for Chadwick to reach the try line, only for a last gap tackle to displace the ball. Soon after, Maldon did score, through Ben Marshall running a great support line, converted by Chadwick, 10-21, Maldon were in control.
But, as often happens at all levels, Mavericks responded immediately through Maldon’s errors. The rest of the half saw Mavericks dominate much of the play & most of the territory. 2 converted tries & a penalty saw the score move to 27-21. Maldon did have some opportunities, but tried to force things & did not display the patience they had shown in the first half. But, Mavericks should be applauded for their tenacity in defence & taking their chances when they came.
Maldon finished the game disappointed with the result, but can be proud of their performances over the whole season. Finishing 7th in this division, following promotion, is a great achievement, as well as being the only team to defeat the division winners.
Next game, in a fortnight, is Stanford-Le-Hope in the cup.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Ben Marshall for another all round fantastic performance.
