The Battle of Bognor

Shoreham travelled to Bognor as the only unbeaten team in the league, sitting top on points difference with a
Bognor side that had suffered their first defeat of the season last weekend away to Uckfield.

Shoreham won the toss and chose to play into the wind for the first half, Bognor chose to kick. Shoreham came into the game expecting a physical battle in rain, and got exactly that as Bognor started the brighter, pinning Shoreham down inside there own 22, Shoreham's defence standing strong to a number of strong carries from Bognor. When Shoreham finally forced a handling error, things when from bad to worse as Daryn Clarke pulled his calf in the first scrum of the game. Harry Rae stepped into the front row as the shuffle in the pack saw Gav Cox come on for Clarke, and number 8 Ashley Gann switch to the second row. Despite losing a strong scrummager in Clarke, Shoreham managed to win their own scrum and clear their lines. Soon after, Bognor were back inside the Shoreham half. However this time the pressure was short lived as Bognor came off their feet at the ruck, giving Shoreham the penalty and a chance to clean their lines again. Shoreham won their own lineout from the clearance and began to get a shove on at the maul. Bognor soon gave away another penalty, this time for hands in the ruck. Shoreham kicked to touch, and won the lineout just inside the Bognor 22. Shoreham got another maul rolling and sucked in the Bognor forwards, as the drive began to slow down, Gav Cox broke off the back and created a two on one with the Bognor fullback, taking the contact and offloading to scrum half Toby Reed, who scored the first try against the run of play. A tough conversion missed by Adam Shaw. Shoreham leading 5-0

After the first try Shoreham began to find their feet in the game, with strong carries from the pack to push Bognor onto the back foot. As Bognor gave away another penalty, Adam Shaw kicked a tough penalty into the wind. Shoreham leading 8-0. As the second half wore on, Shoreham became the dominant side and continued the apply the pressure, as Bognor turned over the ball inside their own 22 they kicked clear and gave Shoreham the lineout just outside the Bognor 22. Shoreham once again won their own ball and got a maul going forward. The Bognor pack again had to commit numbers to stop the drive, as Gav Cox again peeled off the back, to run clear of the defence before "stepping" the fullback to score. Conversion successful from Shaw as Shoreham went into a 15-0 lead going into halftime.

The second half was much the same as the end of the first, as Bognor never really threatened the Shoreham line. The first points of the half came as A combination of substitute Matt Gretton and captain Daegan Beaumont turned over ball outside of the Bognor 22, as the ball went down the line in as taken on by Nick Hobden, who managed to crash over the line with plenty of support outside of him. Shaw again successful with the points after, Shoreham 22-0. From the next kick off is was Nick Hobden again who broke 2 tackles and took the ball into the Bognor half, before drawing the fullback and passing to Adam Shaw who ran in under the posts. Conversion successful Shoreham leading 29-0. Throughout the 2nd half Shoreham's work rate was fantastic, which several big tackles, Ashley Gann and Mark Lavery in particularly effect in the defence.

Clarke, Tufft, Lavery, Rae, Hobden, Cannell, Beaumont, Gann, Reed, Phillips, Evans, Trimm, Eyre-Walker, Wright, Shaw. Subs (all used) Cox, Gretton, French, Miles.

Man Of the match: Harry Rae - Filled in the front row, did a great job at scrum time.
Notable performances: Gav Cox, Nick Hobden, Ash Gann, Toby Reed.