Match Report

MERIT TABLE – 29^th September 07

May and Baker 24 .v. 26 Rochford

Due to injuries, first team call up, players breaking down on route, and people being away May & Baker turned up with a group of player who hardly new each other let alone played together.

Despite this the M & B boys were fired up and came out all guns blazing, within 2 minutes stand in Captain Andy Yarrow dived on loose ball, and quickly recycled ball let former Barking Colt Josh Procter score underneath the posts on his debut. Darren Robinson doing the business with the boot. May & Baker continued their tremendous start by scoring again after just 7 minutes of play. This time Jamie Yates received a high ball and counter attacked well before a great quick set of hands from Martin Lee, Keith Fried, Andy Yarrow, Martin Roddell, and Ross Williams resulted in Chris Young finishing of a great team try for his first score of the season.

May & Baker began trying the fancy stuff and it was costing them as a knock on close to their own line resulted in a scrum 5 meters from the Baker’s line. M & B held the bigger Rochford pack but smart play from Rochford’s large number 10 was enough to breach the M & B line for a converted score. As a result of the strong Rochford scrum prop Harry Lisbon was forced off with injury despite bravely fighting with an injured back. We wish him well soon! This welcomed back old boy Jim green for his first appearance in years. His appearance seemed to raise the game of the M & B side.

This rattled May & Baker and after about half hour of play May & Baker answered back with 3 points from a Darren Robinson penalty. Despite dominating work around the pitch from the back row, Martin Lee, Jim Green, and Keith Friend, silly errors at set plays were beginning to show. A line out loss on the M & B throw resulted in the Rochford fly half scoring an easy unconverted try.

Rochford were edging back into the game slowly and both sides shared a penalty miss, before May & Baker finished the half strongly. Good communication at the scrum from the Baker’s back row resulted in a mix up at the back of the Rochford scrum which one armed hero (& he asked me to add single bachelor) Danny Green pounced on to score his first try since returning to May & Baker after his time away with the army. Again Robinson converted.

This left the score at 24 – 12, and confidence was oozing out of the May & Baker players.

In the second half May & Baker were their own worst enemy, as they lost themselves the game. May & Baker were either to confident or running out of gas and Rochford profited from the poor 2^nd half performance by scoring two converted try’s. The home side were gutted at the final whistle and could not believe they had cost themselves the game. The only good part of the 2^nd half was the return of Colin Buckmaster who made immediate impact in the front row! 

This loss was disastrous for May & Baker. If we play every half like we played that first half against Rochford then there will be nobody in the league able to stop the May & Baker team. But as this weekend showed the match is a game of two halves, and fitness has to improve & we can not get that confident again, we must close the game out!!!  Good performances from returning faces and Chris Young & Jamie Yates.

Recent support has been excellent and we are treating you to some tasty rugby. Next week May & Baker are in Merit Table action again as they take the trip up to new boys Thurrock. Due to the England game kick off time has not been confirmed yet, but it will be on the May & Baker website (www.mbrfc.com) before Thursday. We hope to see you there!

MAN OF THE MATCH: Martin Lee

SQUAD: Harry Lisbon, Colon Combden, Darren Robinson, Keith Friend, Rob Patten, Danny Green, Josh Procter, Andy Yarrow, Martin Lee, Garry O’ Sullivan, Martin Roddell, Chris Young, Ross Williams, Andy Gore, Jamie Yates, Ryan Bone, Jim Green, and Colin Buckmaster.