FOLKESTONE CELEBRATE THEIR 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH AN EXCITING WIN

FOLKESTONE 30 pts v SIDCUP 27 pts 6th April 2024

In front of a good crowd, celebrating Folkestone RFC 50th anniversary, the home team secured a tense victory against a strong Sidcup XV. From the start Stones attacked with good pressure from their forwards and slick passing by their backs resulting with a kick to the corner to allow Ryan Morton to touch down giving Stones a 5 point lead within 5 minutes. After the restart Sidcup pinned down Folkestone in their 22 metre zone, despite sound defence, penalties were conceded allowing the visitors to touch down for an unconverted try leaving the scores level at 5-5.

Folkestone defended well against continuous pressure but conceded a yellow card and the resultant penalty gave Sidcup the lead. 5 -8, and the visitors continued to dominate territory and possession. A second yellow card within three minutes reduced Folkestone to 13 men and Sidcup took full advantage and launched another attack with good inter-passing allowing them to score another unconverted try in the corner giving them an 8 point lead.

Play was interrupted with injuries to Cameron Fiest and Louis Watson who were replaced by Jack Baker and ‘Woody’ Faiers. The restart resulted in the visitors attacking around the rucks when their fly half made a good break releasing his backs to score a converted try giving them 15 point lead. Stones replied with good movement of the ball allowing Freddie Faiers to score a well worked try which was converted by Ryan Morton to give a half time score of 12-20 to the visitors.

What was said at the half time talk seemed to inspire The Stones as they came out with some excellent attacking rugby, forcing the visitors to concede territory and an off-side offense in their 22 metre zone gave Ryan Morton the chance to slot over the penalty kick to reducing the deficit to 15-20. But Sidcup regained composure and with slick movement across the field forced The Stone to concede a converted try 12 -27

Sidcup were now sensing victory, but with some over zealous play by one of their players a yellow card resulted and Folkestone took advantage firstly with a penalty kick and then, with their forwards attacking strongly, set up a passing movement for their backs with Freddie Faiers to slip through for a converted try to narrow the score to 22-27.

In the exciting final minutes Folkestone piled on the pressure and John Eustace crashed through a packed defence for a try and to level the scores at 27 -27 but the easy conversion in front of the posts was charged down to deny the lead.

But the young Stones side were keen to secure victory in front of the large home crowd and were rewarded in the last minute when a penalty was conceded by desperate Sidcup defence allowing Jon Morton to coolly slot the ball between the posts for victory.

Team:-
Tom Snare James Cousens Mason Colchester-Long Ben Stringer Colby Hayward Cameron Fiest Owen Chapman John Eustace Greg Wood Jon Morton Freddie Faiers Louis Watson Harry Dean Ryan Morton Charlie Watson Subs :-James Stewart ,Woody Faiers , Jack Baker