By Carmen Glover
Thanet Wanderers 22 Westcombe Park II 27
This was a game where Thanet played a lot of time on the back foot, despite taking the lead with a penalty straight from the kick off. The first half was influenced by the yellow card to Ben Cannon, apparently for being offside, Thanet had given away several penalties previously and now a penalty drew the visitors level.
As the game restarted, Thanet were deemed offside and Westcombe took the lead 3-6. Almost on the half hour, despite a turnover in the opposition’s half, Thanet then lost the ball and it was run back in from the visitors half to score a converted try. Thanet were not about to give up as Nick Herbert made a brilliant break from his own half and then a simple pass gave Louis Marshall the opportunity to score.
With the conversion, Thanet were now only three points behind as the teams approached half time. Just before the break, when Cannon was deemed to have led with the arm, he received a second yellow card which automatically was upgraded to a red.
The second half would become a challenge for Thanet. Wanderers took the lead early in the second half. Despite originally being held up, the next passage of play saw Mirams intercept the ball and run in another try for Thanet.
Thanet extended their lead and despite the man deficit showed their mettle as Thompson reacted to a ball fumbled by Westcombe on the line and scored. With the conversion, Thanet were 22-13 up but with twenty minutes of the game to play. Thanet continued to knock on the door, but they were hampered by being a man down.
Just after the hour mark, Park ran in under the posts with the conversion, and it was now a two point game. Late in the game Westcombe scored what was to be the decisive winning try. Despite that, Thanet were unlucky to have been deemed held up or knocked on over the line in the last ten minutes of the game.
A hard-fought game from which the home team deserved more but came away with a losing bonus point.
