14 man 'Field show real heart!
10 Oct 09 Petersfield 2s 26 v 22 Bognor 2s
Petersfield hosted Bognor second XV for what resulted in a heavy up-front battle. Bognor turned up with a very well drilled squad, with their backs boasting the majority of the talent, writes Matt Doe.
Petersfield struggled for numbers, and late pull-outs left the home side starting with a squad of only fifteen. Familiar faces, Pete Winterbottom and Tom Marion, helped prove the temperament that 'Field showed on the day, both having not played a game in two years, both were willing to step up to help.
The game began with a both sides throwing everything into attack, but very few gaps appeared in either set of defences. Bognor were the first to put points on the board. A penalty close to the Petersfield posts enabled the visiting kicker to slot the three points. The response from 'Field was encouraging, though, immediately making sure that rugby was to be played in the opposition half.
After an intense injection of pressure into the Bognor defence, the home side scored the first try through Gareth Nichols, taking a pop pass three metres out and showing nimble footwork to go over the line. Matt Doe converted, putting the home side four points into the lead. Shortly after Petersfield were once again hampered by numbers, as Richard Humphries took a blow to the shoulder, from which he was not able to carry on, meaning that Field were forced to continue with fourteen men. From that point on it was very much back and forth rugby, with the game opening up and with both teams trying to open up and, indeed, both teams scoring again. Neil Arnold rounded the defence on the wing to score fifteen metres from the touchline, again converted. Bognor once again replied in a similar fashion, with an individual effort from their fly half resulting in a try under the posts, converting the two points himself. The second half saw much of the same, and with Field very much up against it; the extra man began to show as the visitors broke the defence many times. It was the character shown by the Petersfield players that kept the game alive. The next points came from Tom Marion, who provided excellent support for the ageless Derek Eldridge who was able to give a pass to Marion for him to cross the line right in the corner.
Much of the game was played in the Bognor half from then on, as Petersfield continued to apply the pressure. But a nail biting ten minutes spent in the Petersfield twenty-two ended with Bognor going over the line for a try, finding the space on the wing where ‘Field lacked the extra man.
The saviour, though, was once again Marion, who evaded a tackle after a pass from Hoff, going through to score under the posts. Bognor proved that they had one last attack in them by finishing yet another try, this time going straight through the tiring defence of the home side.
The final six minutes was a gruelling battle of real grit, but it was Field who proved that they wanted it more and ground out the win to wrap up an all-together hard earned victory. Skipper Derek Eldridge added after the match, "It was an amazing show of character, I am so pleased with the boys. For people like Winterbottom and Marion to not only turn up but also perform on the pitch was great. I was delighted with the performance of all, especially the returning prodigals and what a result it turned out to be."
