Folkestone 10 – 15 Tonbridge Juddians

Folkestone produced a determined performance against league leaders Tonbridge Juddians but ultimately fell just short in a fiercely contested encounter.

The visitors arrived at the New Burlington Ground having lost only twice in the league this season, while Folkestone sat third in the table knowing that victory would significantly strengthen their promotion hopes. The match proved to be a tightly fought contest, with the Juddians’ resilient defence under intense late pressure proving decisive.

The game began at a lively tempo, with both sides playing open rugby and moving the ball confidently between forwards and backs. After 14 minutes, the deadlock was broken when Juddians capitalised on a line-out in Folkestone’s 22. The visitors worked the ball well to score a converted try and take a 7–0 lead.

Folkestone responded immediately from the restart, launching a powerful attacking sequence that drove them deep into opposition territory. Sustained pressure eventually saw the ball moved wide to Harry Dean, who crossed in the corner to reduce the deficit to 7–5.

However, Juddians soon struck back. Forcing their way into the Folkestone 22 with a series of strong phases, the visitors were awarded a penalty and took advantage to extend their lead with another try, making it 12–5.

The remainder of the first half saw both teams trading possession and territory in an evenly balanced contest, but neither side was able to add to the scoreboard before the interval.

The second half resumed in similar fashion, with determined defence and physical running from both sides cancelling out attacking opportunities. Eventually Juddians again forced their way into the Folkestone 22 and were awarded a penalty, which they successfully converted to move further ahead at 15–5.

Folkestone refused to relent and produced some excellent attacking rugby, linking forwards and backs effectively. Their persistence paid off when Ollie Vidgeon crossed the line for a well-earned try, narrowing the gap to 15–10 and setting up a tense finish.

In the closing stages, Stones threw everything at the league leaders. With less than two minutes remaining, Folkestone camped just metres from the Juddians’ try line and launched a series of powerful forward drives. The visitors, however, held firm under immense pressure to deny the home side and secure a narrow victory.

Although the result was a disappointing one for Folkestone, the performance demonstrated their quality and determination. Every player in the Stones side can take great pride in pushing the league leaders to the very limit in an absorbing contest.