Under 10's at Cranbrook B Festival

Folkestone Under 10’s at Cranbrook B Festival

Under 10’s sent a team to the Cranbrook ‘B’ Festival in order to give the whole squad a run out over the weekend. After the whole Under 10’s squad was depleted due to early challengers for this years “Shoreham Ball” only 10 hardy youngsters made it to Cranbrook including Ethan Holt who was thrown in at the deep end after just one week of training.
Despite their limited numbers the Stones competed very well throughout the morning, they played three matches in total, unfortunately losing all of them but not without showing a great deal of spirit and determination to succeed.

Ashford beat the Stones by 6 tries to 2 after a somewhat fortuitous start to the match for Ashford gifted them an early lead which Ashford held on to and stretched at the end. Stones’ opening try was scored by Kian Supple who played very well and with great discipline throughout the morning. Thomas Reina scored Stones second.

Second opponents were Tunbridge Wells and Folkestone took the lead after Cohen Double bludgeoned his way through the Wells defence under great pressure at the end of the first half. Stones’ defence and the referee then switched off to allow Wells to equalise immediately and with the final play of the half. Thomas Reina continued to show much balance and determination and forced his way through early in the second half for a second Folkestone try but again Wells immediately responded. With the match poised and Folkestone in possession the referee stopped play for an injury to a Wells player, Wells won the scrum from Folkestone’s put-in at the restart and raced up the pitch to take the lead. Folkestone heads dropped and Wells ran in a decisive 4th for a 4 tries to 2 victory.

Final match was against Cranbrook and it followed pretty match the same pattern as the Tunbridge Wells match. Cranbrook and Folkestone traded tries, Stones first from Reina and second from Double before Cranbrook towards the end of the game ran a try in on their left wing and repeated the feat with the final play of the match for a 4-2 victory.

All in all a great effort from an inexperienced and depleted Folkestone Team, the matches against Tunbridge Wells and Cranbrook could have gone either way and worth noting that Stones closest match was against Wells who won all three of their group matches and went on to the Final. With the squad at full strength and showing similar determination better results will come.

Folkestone Under 10’s: Ryan Adams, Dominic Bowden, Thomas Cloke, Cohen Double, Archie Green, Ethan Holt, Ethan Murray, Ben Povah, Thomas Reina, Kian Supple.