Yet another ‘phew’ result Folkestone won this match by one point

14th November 2015 London 3SE Report from By Alan Schofield
Folkestone welcomed their opponents from East Sussex on an atrocious, cold, very wet and windy day at Burlington Fields. So different to the last time the two teams met – on a lovely day in Cranbrook in 2011, the day when David Baxter scored 5 tries. But the visitors have rebounded from those days having convincingly topped their league table last season to earn promotion. And before this game they just headed the home team by one point in London South East 3 division.
And in yet another ‘phew’ result Folkestone won this match by one point but only with the help of the phantom of Burlington Fields.
In every game this season, other than the first match against Bromley, one score has been the margin of winning or losing for Folkestone! But even a neutral spectator could never have foreseen the result this game at the half time break.
Cranbrook’s scrum buckled at the first contact with The Stones front five as they briefly visited the Folkestone half of the field following the kick-off – and they didn’t see it again until after 20 minutes.
Jon Morton and Ollie Walton combined a strong run down the left and it was Jon Morton again who tested the opposition with a long cross field kick to bring play to within 15 metres where Cranbrook had to throw everything into defence against some determined forward play. Seyhan Fell missed with a penalty attempt when they ran off-side and from the drop out Adam Tolman popped up a teasing short, high kick that Ollie Walton couldn’t quite catch whilst at full speed and in the clear.
Another penalty concession brought Folkestone into the five metre zone with Jack Barton and Jake Ellis wrestling to win a loose ball and feeding it back to Frazer Hendy who in turn made a couple of metres before handing it to the formidable Matt Roots who, with three men on his back and another three in front of him, bull charged the line, dived and scored the try after 19 minutes of almost constant pressure. Fell converted. 7 – 0.
There was no relief for the hard worked Cranbrook defences as Chris Petley made ground from the scrum and Seyhan Fell turned the opposition with a well-placed kick to put The Stones on the attack yet again. Matt Roots was troubled, before the game, with a nagging muscular problem in his calve and was replaced by Tom Snare – a welcome sight for those who have seen Tom before.
This might have reduced the total pack weight by a few kilos, but not the power as they battered the Cranbrook line time after time down the left. After some relentless tackling by Cranbrook that somehow resisted every effort – Chris Petley switched the ball infield to combine a backs and forwards attack under the posts – and when ‘Jiggles’ Ellis took possession he decided to go alone and, as he had done the previous week, stormed over the line to put the home side 14 – 0 ahead (after Fell’s routine conversion) within half an hour.
The Stones were put briefly to defence before the half time break but the few spectators were wondering how many points the home team had failed to get, and how many more they would accumulate in the second half. How mistaken they were!
After the break Cranbrook came out a different side and within three minutes had taken a penalty kick to open their account. 14 – 3. Coach Leigh Fitchie made some changes, bringing on Jordan Godden and Warren Blandford for Doug Wood at scrum half, and James Archer.
Cranbrook started to throw the ball about with the wind behind them and stretched the home team left and right with strong running. But they offended mid-field and then criticised the decision of the excellent referee, Mr Andy Phillips. A bad mistake - as Seyhan Fell can kick penalties even into the wind and rain from long distance and the extra 10 metres conceded lost Cranbrook three more points. 17 – 3.
But Cranbrook continued with their fartlek type of rugby and when they stretched Folkestone too far, their centre was able to run through to score near to the posts. The easy kick mysteriously faded wide and the extra two points were missed. 17 – 8. Hmmm …. costly?
The visitors now looked formidable and Folkestone were often at full stretch to stop a number of determined attacks, usually from the backs – but the Cranbrook forwards were now winning the scrums and mauls that they had lost in first half. Chris Petley was sin-binned for an over enthusiastic tackle and conceded a penalty duly converted and Cranbrook were within winning distance at 17 – 11.
With 14 men The Stones tried to play in the opposition half but their clearance kicks found safe hands and allowed more attacks from a now exuberant opposition. Fitchie brought back Matt Roots to solidify the forwards, and that worked but could not stop another succession of attacks that, given the abominable weather conditions reflected great credit on the visitors.
The try Cranbrook scored with eight minutes to play seemed inevitable. It was very similar to their first try when the back row and three quarters stretched Folkestone past their limits and they touched down just to the left of the left hand post. 17 – 16. With the easy conversion to come the lead and probably the match was lost. But wait! The ball was placed and kicked firmly and with precision from 20 metres – and it was heading straight between the two posts when the phantom of Burlington Fields gently caressed the ball and eased it to the right and to the outside of the right hand post. Weird! It was astonishing to see it from directly behind the ball.
So, thanks to this enormous piece of fortune, Folkestone played out the remaining time with renewed energy and won the game. For the third match in a row it was a relieved ‘Phew’ from all the home support. But it was an excellent game played with sportsmanship and with some good rugby both in attack and defence by both teams in awful conditions - and there is no doubt that the return fixture in February will be keenly anticipated.

Team: Adam Tolman; Harry Smith, Seyhan Fell, John Eustace, Ollie Walton; Jon Morton (Capt.), Doyug Wood; James Archer, Jake Ellis, Mat Roots; Jack Barton, Ryan Farrow; Frazer Hendy, Josh Kemp, Chris Petley.
Subs: Tom Snare, Warren Blandford, Jordan Godden.
Scorers: Mat Roots 5; Seyhan Fell 2,2, 3; Jake Ellis 5.