Chingford 21 Brentwood 15 (London & South East Division: North 1)
14th January 2012

by David Anderson

Brentwood travelled to Lea Valley to play Chingford, a club they defeated 29-21 in a hard fought home fixture back in September.

At a ground where Brentwood always have difficulty in beating the home team, Director of Coaching Steve Killington was forced to make two changes to last week’s selection. With winger Ryan Lee and centre Adam Thomas unavailable, youngster George Amato and Tom Larkin came into the back division.

Following a minute’s silence in memory of their late coach, Chingford kicked off with Brentwood facing a glaring setting sun.

The first quarter saw the game evenly balanced with neither side able to get into any rhythm. However, the second quarter started with the visitor’s defence under pressure and, failing to clear their lines, they conceded a penalty to the left of the posts. Comfortably converted, Chingford went into a 3-0 lead.

Brentwood were stirred and quickly counter-attacked but failed to capitalise on two overlaps on the right wing. Failure to take the right options dogged the back division all afternoon. Chingford gradually started to get on top as half-time approached. Another penalty gave them a 6-0 lead, before fly-half Dan Whitehead upset the referee and was rather harshly sin-binned.

Chingford, now with an extra man, stretched Brentwood’s defence before their left wing touched down in the corner for an unconverted try.

After half an hour the home side were now 11-0 ahead and in the ascendancy. However, with Whitehead back on, play levelled out again and Brentwood started to attack but another clear two to one overlap opportunity was shunned and the score remained 11-0 to Chingford at half-time.

Half-time saw Chingford edging the game with their pack’s tenacity keeping their Brentwood opposition from achieving their usual dominance. The lack of communication in both the pack and the back division was clearly palpable leading to many missed scoring opportunities.

The second half saw Brentwood’s pack step up a gear forcing Chingford to concede a penalty which Whitehead duly converted. A charge-down in Chingford’s 22 was then seized on by number eight John Beith who touched down for an easy try. Whitehead converted and at 11-10 Brentwood were back in the game.

However, Beith gave away a penalty when he became isolated on one of his breaks from the scrum. Brentwood went off the boil as the pack lost the vigour and sparkle shown in matches before Christmas. Mistakes appeared in the backs as another Chingford counter-attack provided their second try. Converted, they now had a lead of 21-10 as the game went into the last quarter.

With Brentwood continuing to be uncomfortable under Chingford’s tactical kicking, pressure remained on the visitors until a counter-attack down the right wing saw winger Declan Gillett, on for George Amato, score in the corner. At 21-15 and with ten minutes to go Brentwood camped in Chingford’s 22 and despite four successive penalties and a sin-binning the visitors were unable to score again.

Winning 21-15 Chingford deserved victory in a close encounter where their determination from the start earned them four points. The visitors managed one point.

Brentwood lost their way in the rucks and mauls while the backs were very slow and seem to miss a game plan.

There was no man of the match award this week.

Brentwood remain seventh in the league with 39 points. Their visitors this coming week (ko 2.15), Old Colfeians, are eighth with 38 points.

Team: Sherwood, Northall, Bevans-Royston, King (c), Woodcock, Metcalfe, Beith, Amato, Green, Whitehead, Dowler, Larkin, Wylie, Amato, and Cowen.