Crowborough 38 FRFC 0

This game got off to a great start with end to end play as both teams went hard at each other. But then the referee yellow carded 2 Folkestone players and the home team took full advantage. Things got worse for Folkestone when with just 13 players on the park the referee awarded a penalty try which was converted. 7-0.
The host’s second try was a beauty when their fly half timed a perfect pass to their centre who cut a terrific line through the Stones defence for a second converted try. 14-0.
Things got worse for Folkestone as everything seemed to go against them. Crowborough’s next try came from a turnover inside their own 22 and a burst of pace took the home team to the try-line for a converted try. 21-0.
Just before half time the same thing happened again as Crowborough broke quickly out of their 22 to score. 26-
In the second half Crowborough scored 2 more tries to lead 38-0. A horrible score for the visitors because, for me, Crowborough were not 38 points better than Folkestone but the scoreboard doesn’t lie!
The Folkestone team deserve a lot of credit because they kept on trying to play attacking rugby. It was one of these days when everything seems to go wrong. But if points were awarded for courage and commitment this Folkestone squad would be champions every season. Today they got no luck at all. The bounce of the ball, the 50-50 decisions went against them and some passes which were near ly perfect but were intercepted by the home team. It was just one of these days.
Last season Crowborough were at or close to the top of the league only to lose out on promotion on the final day of the season. It’s tough at the top as everybody is out to beat you and opponents lift their games. I think that experience has helped them to be more composed and controlled. I’ve got no doubt that this season they will earn promotion. These Folkestone players have to learn to live with pressure. I’m sure they will but on this day they were too tense and inhibited. They will learn from this defeat and come back a better team.
I’ve sat on the fence for the last few weeks when calling Folkestone’s Man of the Match but today for me it was Jake Johnson. Time after time he carried the ball up the pitch battering his way through. He did it in the 1st minute and he was still doing it in the 80th minute.

Many thanks to Crowborough for, once again, extending a warm welcome to the Folkestone players and supporters. They are understandably pleased with their new clubhouse and they should be very pleased with their team.

Squad:
R Lama, P Hodges, R Puddy, M Roots, J McMurray, T Naylor, R Hudson, W Turner, J Johnson, M Murray, M Krizanek, S Harris, J Kopriva, S Evans, B Brooks, O Brooks, J Morton, S Fell