After a strong showing in defeat against Chippenham last week, Tadley only made one change to the starting 15 with utility forward Gareth Green coming into replace Chris Mason who returned to New Zealand this week. Captain Tom Bailey made a welcome return to the squad as a replacement following a month out through injury.
Despite dominating both territory and possession in the first quarter, Reading Abbey were unable to capitalise with a series of dropped passes and unforced errors hindering their scoring opportunities. In fact it was Tadley’s evergreen player coach Craig Raymond who scored the first points with a well struck forty metre penalty midway through the first half. Unfortunately this was not maintained for long, with the dominant Abbey pack taking control in the scrummage and in the space of three minutes Abbey scored two tries to open a 12 -3 lead, the first a well constructed backs move coming off a set piece scrummage ten yards out from Tadleys line. The situation worsened for Tadley, with a third try resulting from a clean midfield break, through a sleeping Tadley pack, from the Abbey scrum half. With the half closing, Craig Raymond closed the gap with another long range penalty effort, leaving Tadley trailing 6 - 17 at the break.
Despite the scoreline, Tadley remained confident that the delta could be reduced after the break. With instructions from player coach Mark Vatcher to step up the tempo in the second half, Tadley started well, and within a five minutes Raymond closed the gap further to 9-17 with a close range penalty, only to be cancelled out by a straightforward penalty effort for Abbey shortly after.
However, with Green and Duncan Harris in the second row commanding the lineouts, Tadley were able to take more control with their forwards, allowing the dangerous Tadley backline to prosper and make inroads against the now stretched Abbey defence. With Tadley answering Vatcher's call to increase the pace of the game, it was midway through the second half when Raymond, with a Barry Johnesque "show and go" scampered through untouched to score under the posts to reduce the deficit to 16-20. With Tadley now very much in the ascendency, it now looked just a matter of time before Tadley would take the lead. Following a fleet footed break from the powerful Alex Pike, Tadley were awarded yet another penalty in front of the Abbey posts, and with eight minutes remaining, captain Rob Lowe opted for the three points to close the gap to just one point. This proved the right decision when only moments later, another devastating step from the Welsh wizard Raymond, allowed the Tadley backline to carve holes in the Abbey defence. Burly centre Andy Craig looked sure to score before desperate defence caused the offload to Raymond who in turn found the newly introduced Bailey, only to be cut down by a high tackle in front of the Abbey posts. The resultant penalty was kicked leaving Tadley in front at 22-20 with just three minutes remaining.
The comeback looked complete, but with Vatcher failing to retrieve the ensuing kick off, play developed in Tadleys half, and a series of forward drives set the field position for former Reading fly half Adam Hurst to kick the winning points for Abbey with a sweetly struck drop goal.
Tadley must take further encouragement from the way they fought back this week to overcome a first half deficit, but must start better to avoid having to chase the game in the second half. With matches against fellow stragglers Salisbury and Bletchley over the next fortnight, Tadley must be looking to turn the recent improved efforts into league points.
Pump Technology Man of the Match: Craig Raymond
Team: Collins (D. Pike, 30 mins), Choules, Lowe (Capt), Green, Harris, Summers (Vatcher 55 mins), Seal, Keeley, Crane (Bailey 73 mins), Raymond, Dampies, Craig, A.Pike, Rozier, Dennison. |
