Costly Defeat for Folkestone Promotion Hopes

FOLKESTONE 12 pts v PARK HOUSE 27 pts 3rd February 2024

Folkestone entertained Park House in a top of the table game. The conditions on the day were ideal for open and entertaining rugby. Both sides began the match at a high tempo, with the visitors soon settling into their rhythm. On the 8th minute the visitors pressed inside the home sides 22 metre and after good pressure from their forwards the ball was released allowing their centre to score out wide. The conversation was missed giving 5-0 lead.

Folkestone came back at the visitors forcing them to concede metres, which resulted in the ball moving through their backs hands and with a good kick from Seyhan Fell to the wing the ball was collected and passed to Louis Watson to score in the corner, the try was not converted but levelled the score after 13 minutes of the match. The visitors attacked after the kick off and with some lapses of defence from the home side they conceded a converted try to give the visitors a 7 point lead. The visitors continued to attack the Folkestone defence, and after sustained pressure they mounted an attack from a set scrum they spread the ball wide to give their wing a chance to score in the corner which was converted giving them a comfortable 14 point lead at the half time interval.

Folkestone resumed the second half with far more pace and aggression forcing the visitors to concede penalties, with the home side in the ascendancy and the visitors forwards showing signs of fatigue the home side sent on forward replacements Harry Illman and Tom Little for Ben Stringer and Tom Clarke at the 49th minute of the game. Despite pressure from the home side the visitors scrapped their way back into the game resulting in Folkestone conceding penalties which eventually resulted in a kickable penalty in the 57th minute which the visitors converted giving them a 17 point lead.

After the kick off the visitors still pressed with strong running by their forwards but resilient defence by Folkestone contained their onslaught and in the 63rd minute Folkestone secured the ball from a breakdown in play and moved the ball with Callum Palmeiri spotting a gap in the oppositions defence and running 30 metres before passing the ball to Charlie Watson who sprinted in to score a try which was converted to leave the score at 12-22 to the visitors. With time running out the hope of a Folkestone victory looked slim, but a bonus point seemed on the cards. This was however dashed in the 78th minute when Folkestone conceded a penalty and the visitors took a quick penalty and scored in the corner leaving the score 12-27 to Park House.

Despite this loss of hopes for promotion are not completely dashed for this young Folkestone side, if they can secure a clean sweep in their next remaining matches the next league beckons.

Team Tom Snare, James Cousens Mason Colchester-Long, Clarke, Ben Stringer, Rob Godden, Alex Price, John Eustace, Callum Palmieri, Seyhan Fell, Freddy Frears, Louis Watson, Joe Satchell, Harry Dean, Charlie Watson. Subs. Harry Illman, Little, Greg Wood.