Maidenhead (Home)

Chinnor 1st XV 14 vs. Maidenhead 1st XV 16
Saturday 11th December
South West Division One

Chinnor should have wrapped the game up in the first half.

They dominated this game in this period with a surfeit of possession that they were unable to convert into a significant points advantage. They were leading 11pts to 3 at half-time but with a little more composure and being selective in their option taking they would have been out of sight. An exchange of penalties by James Cathcart and Hawkins saw the game level after 15 minutes. Chinnor then took the lead when Richard Major scored after a prolonged bout of Chinnor pressure. With a further Cathcart penalty Chinnor went into the interval break rueing what might have been with a host of chances gone begging.

A slice of naivety by the home side 5 minutes into the second half , when Chinnor took a tap penalty instead of putting the ball into touch cost them dear. Chinnor found themselves exposed , held onto the ball, were penalised, Maidenhead kicked the ball into the corner, won the resultant line-out, carved through the centre with Hammond touching down under the posts.

With Hawkins kicking the conversion and a penalty Maidenhead were in front. Although Cathcart nosed Chinnor back in front with a well struck penalty , the reliable Hawkins put the visitors back in the lead with 6 minutes remaining. From then on Maidenhead pinned Chinnor in their own half by sensibly kicking the ball into the corners and playing the game in their opponents half. It was a stranglehold from which Chinnor were unable to break free.

For Chinnor Hutchinson was a tower of strength both in the line-out and in lose play with Full back Hawkins and scrum-half Ayres the architects of the Maidenhead win.