Uckfield 19 FRFC 5

This was an uncomfortable game to watch from a Folkestone supporters
point of view for very little went in their sides favour. It was a
niggly match with several punch ups, yellow cards and admonishments by
the referee.
Folkestone couldn't seem to do anything right and within the first
eight minutes they had two penalties awarded against them and were six
points to nil down. Martin 'Moose' Murray who's name, he tells me,
hasn't appeared in these chronicles lately, then received a yellow card, as did a member of the opposition, so both sides were down to fourteen players apiece for ten minutes. The game did not improve from there and although the Folkestone pack dominated the line outs and were often pushing Uckfield around the park in the scrums they got nowhere. The concensus of opinion from the touchline was,that this game was
potentially the worst performance that Folkestone have given all season.
The game fluctuated between the twenty two metre lines with very little
going right for Folkestone. The pack were having the best of the set
pieces and more than held their own in the loose but the threequarters
had a bad day at the office. If it wasn't a forward pass it was a knock
on or a dropped ball and the kicking out of hand was diabolical. The
penalty kicks to touch gained very little ground and every effort they
seemed to make was thwarted by a solid Uckfield defence. To cap it all
just prior to half time the home side were awarded another penalty in
front of the posts to see them turn around nine points clear.
From the re-start Folkestone appeared to gain some momentum and
increased their territorial advantage but could not break down the
Uckfield defence. Elliot Jones and Brad Pearson had promising runs down
the wing and Mike Gardner and young George Flatman had breaks up the
middle of the park but all to no avail.
It was heartbreaking to see all the hard work that they were putting in
ending with no perceptible gain. The Folkestone forwards outplayed their opposite numbers but however hard the threequarters tried to put the icing on the cake they failed. In the end it appeared that they were trying too hard and were never relaxed in their approach. The final nail in the coffin came when the Folkestone forwards won a loose maul under their own posts and the three quarters tried to run it out instead of playing the percentages and belting the ball downfield. Instead a fumble and knock-on saw the home outside half pick up the dropped ball and cross for a try under the posts which was converted 16 - 0. Folkestone then had a period when they exerted pressure on the
Uckfield line but could not convert possession into points. They were
awarded several penalties when they declined to kick for three points,
instead seeking the seven points a converted try would give them - and a fighting chance to get back into the game. It was not to be however and Uckfield repulsed every attack and everything that Folkestone could
throw at them. This had been a good spell for Folkestone but their
inability to put points on the board seemed to affect them and the
spirit seemed to be seeping away. Lewis Howland replaced Cox at scrum
half and a shuffle around saw Ritchie Bowen move to his preferred
position on the flank with Damien Dixon taking over the wing spot and
James Perry replaced Gardner. Tom Snare completed the three substitutes.
Folkestone then had a bit of luck they had been waiting for when the
forwards drove into the Uckfield 22 area and the ball went down the
blind side to see Tom Carvill crash over in the corner for an
unconverted try. 16 - 5. Uckfield however had the last word with
another penalty in front of the visitors posts to seal the game 19 - 5.
This was a game that Folkestone will want to forget as they are a far
better unit than this. They couldn't seem to string anything progressive together however hard they tried - and they certainly did try. The pack had a good day and Tim Wood, Mike Gardner and, in the second half, Ritchie Bowen dominated the lines-out but my Man Of the Match award goes to young Tom Carvill who was tremendous on the pick-and-drive and in his general defence.
Next week Folkestone need to bounce back with a win over Pullborough
who are below them in the League and should, hopefully, provide a
welcome spectacle for the spectators and those attending the Vice
Presidents Lunch prior to the game.