1st XV match reports |
| 24th February 2007 |
London League Division One |
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London Scottish 69 Old Albanians 0 Scottish continued their impressive form with this big win against another side that has proved awkward in the past, but which was simply no match for the home side's all round power and pace. Victory also put Scottish back on top of the table thanks to Richmond's last gasp win at Worthing and the Scots' hugely superior points difference.
It was a wonderful
break by the young winger, and it brought much cheer to those
Scots who had been lurking in the bar watching the Azzurri
Indeed, Scottish had started off in the Italian manner, getting 12-0 ahead within four minutes. Old Albanians made a mess of a long 22 from the Scots and Phil Reid pounced for his first score for the senior side. Jamie Whelan duly converted, but was unable to do so again soon after when Jim Kelly crossed in the left corner following a lineout move, the kick drifting inches wide. The early lead settled the Scots but OAs, who had conceded 60 at Richmond and Ealing, now dug in and frustrated the Scots attacks, slowing the ball down at ruck and maul. All the same, they showed little ambition of their own, and when they had possession and territory the home defence was comfortable, forcing the visitors to switch the play from side to side with little expectation of any real advance. The result was a
turgid 20 minutes, finally broken by the dynamic Milne. Stuart Peel
put a penalty kick into touch 40m out and from quick ball Milne
Eight minutes later the game was secured when Broughton set up that first try for Yiend and again Whelan added the extras. Scottish almost grabbed another before half-time but Matt Vines' long break was halted just short and from the next phase Lee Soper was unable to hold a sharp pass with the line within his considerable reach, It wasn't the first chance to go begging but it hardly mattered. Mr Smith blew for the interval with hardly any allowance for stoppages, but immediately afterwards Scottish scored again, Stuart Peel grabbing his 13th of the season after Whelan's break did the initial damage and Alex Alesbrook made the space for the Scottish fly half. Peel thus closed to within one try of Broughton's place as leading scorer for the season. The next score owed everything to the visitors' inability to cope with Milne, the centre powering through the midfield traffic before sending David Watt clear to score. Then Vines almost scored on the right after a terrific burst from midfield. He was hauled down short with Broughton on his shoulder, but was reprieved by the whistle for a shove on another of the support runners. Peel, spotting Kelly way over on the left, lofted the kick in his direction and after Kelly used his height and strength to get the knock down, Reid collected to score. Scottish now
introduced recent recruits Chris Jennings and Jon Pettemerides, and
the latter could not have had a better introduction to his new club,
when Peel kicked ahead, collected as the defence dithered and then,
finding the
Whelan converted, and did so again two minutes later when Milne yet again barged through the midfield cover and sent Watt cantering in under the posts. After this flurry of scoring the game quietened for ten minutes, broken only by the chatter in the crowd as the Worthing result came through. The visitors, though, were not going to hold out till the whistle, and skipper Alesbrook grabbed two scores to inch his own way up the try-table, first going over in the far left corner to leave Whelan a near impossible kick. Then in added time he dotted down from a five metre scrum driven over the line; this had resulted from the pack rumbling a maul fully 35m down the pitch. Albanians should have been penalised for collapsing it just short, but instead Mr Smith had awarded them a scrum. Much good it did them as the Scottish shove was unstoppable and the day's final action was Whelan adding his seventh goal of the afternoon. The win puts Scottish level with their South Coast rivals on 16 wins apiece from 18, but with a far better points difference by a margin of 168. Worthing however will expect to make inroads on that when they host Guildford in three weeks time. But before that, while Scottish travel to another relegation-threatened side, Portsmouth, Worthing visit third placed Ealing next weekend, and that result will give Scottish a clearer view of the task that lies ahead. Paul McFarland |
February 25 | P | Diff | Pts |
| London Scottish | 18 | +623 | 32 | |
| Worthing | 18 | +445 | 32 | |
| Ealing | 18 | +497 | 30 | |
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London Scottish With
15. Matt Vines (Chris Jennings 57 mins)
London Scottish scorers: Tries: Reid 2, Kelly, Milne, Yiend,
Peel, Watt 2,
kickers Whelan 7 from 11 Yellow Card:
Referee Craig Smith Conditions drizzle at times, mild; pitch soft Whyte and Mackay Man of the Match - Bryan Milne |
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| previous match report - Haywards Heath click here | ||||
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