An intense battle on a heavy pitch sees Folkestone get back to their winning ways.

LEWES 1stXV 12 FOLKESTONE 1stXV 20.
Saturday 3rd February 2018 London 3 SE Report from Alex Ruddock.
A long journey down to Lewes in drizzle and then heavy rain was not conducive to slick handling on the heavy pitch. Although the rain did ease off the ball was wet and muddy which did not help either side.
Lewes kicked off and Liam Trinder fielded the ball and made ground with David Jarvis and Scott Stewart in support, but the ball is lost forward in the tackle. Lewes scrum but they are driven back with the experienced front row of Mat Roots, Adam Bloomfield and Bob Porter giving a good solid platform. Scott Stewart takes the ball on supported by Sam Beech and Liam Trinder. Mat Roots supported by Colby Hayward break off and drive forward and Callum Palmieri supplies the ball from the back of the maul and James Lunnun kicks downfield to find touch about ten metres from Lewes’ try line. Lewes infringe at the lineout and Folkestone opt for a scrum. The Folkestone pack drive forward to the try line but are held up over the line. Folkestone have a repeated scrum five metres out and are held up again. The ground underfoot is getting churned up but from the third scrum Scott Stewart scores a well deserved forwards try wide out. 0-5. Seyhan Fell from 35 metres just shaves the outside of the post.
From the restart Lewes contest for the ball, which Folkestone win and Callum Palmieri gets the ball out to James Lunnun who finds touch ten metres into the Lewes half. Sam Beech (lifted by Mat Roots and Bob Porter) takes a clean catch in front of an outstretched Lewes hand however the effort is wasted as in the drive forward Folkestone give away a penalty. Lewes opt for a scrum but get pushed back and Callum Palmieri harries the Lewes scrumhalf, who is penalised for holding onto the ball. James Lunnun finds touch about 6 metres out from the Lewes line. Sam Beech again secures good quick line out ball which is then driven forward only for Mat Roots to be held up over the line.
From another scrum the ball is passed out with Scott Stewart taking the ball wide with Liam Trinder and Colby Hayward in support but are penalised for holding onto the ball in the tackle. Lewes find touch from the penalty just inside Folkestone’s half. From the lineout Lewes gain ground and break through several tackles to score a converted try. 7-5 after 25 minutes.
For the next 15 minutes the game consisted of attacking and defending by both sides with Folkestone to get over the Lewes line until eventually another penalty was awarded to Folkestone and Seyhan Fell slotted the kick from 30 metres out. 7-8. This then brought more attacks from Folkestone with all the team putting in some attacking plays through Colby Hayward, Mat Roots, Bob Porter, Liam Trinder making ground forward before getting the ball out to Callum Palmieri and through the hands of James Lunnun, Will Turner, John Eustace, James Mead and Seyhan Fell but to no avail. 7-8 at halftime.
After five minutes of attacking by Lewes, they scored wide out, after breaking through several despairing tackles, no conversion. 12-8. At this stage Folkestone bring on Connor Leather and Jack Shorter with Adam Bloomfield and Scott Stewart being replaced, as a result Will Turner went to No8. Almost immediately Jack Shorter and Connor Leather were into the thick of it attacking the Lewes line with will Turner powering over for a try. Seyhan Fell converted. 12-15. Five minutes later James Mead scores out on the left wing after breaking several tackles. Seyhan Fell again narrowly misses, the 35 metre kick just going under the cross bar. 12-20.
The remaining 27 minutes of the half were spent camped on the Folkestone try line as Lewes launched attack after attack but the line remained intact, sterling work was performed by all the team and some relieving touch kicks gave Folkestone a bit of a breather along with several injuries stopping the play. At this time Mat Roots returned to the fray with Bob Porter being replaced.. Several times Folkestone won the ball back and broke up-field but some mis-passes and poor handling cut the riposte short. In the last few minutes Scott Stewart returned with Will Turner coming off. The game ended with Folkestone on the attack with Callum Palmieri, Liam Trinder and Scott Stewart combining off the back of a scrum. Final score 12-20.
With the whole squad putting in a great effort throughout they must be collectively be the Men of the Match!

Team: Seyhan Fell; James Mead, John Eustace (Capt.), Will Turner, Josh Holt; James Lunnun, Callum Palmieri; Bob Porter, Adam Bloomfield, Mat Roots; David Jarvis, Colby Hayward; Sam Beech, Liam Trinder, Scott Stewart.
Subs: Connor Leather, James Archer, Jack Shorter.
Scorers: Scott Stewart 5; Seyhan Fell 2, 3; Will Turner 5; James Mead 5.