Old Patesians vs Bournemouth

Old Patesians – 16
Bournemouth – 15

Referee – Tall Hakim

Old Patesians consolidated their play-off position in the National League Three South West with a nail-biting cliff-hanger win against Bournemouth at Everest Road. Bournemouth had ended the Pats a 9 match unbeaten run in November and were the current form side with five wins on the bounce lying fourth in the table.

Pats were unfortunate to lose skipper Adam Seager in the pre-match warm up with a tweaked hamstring and Nellie Webber came into the side at full-back. Pats started down the slope and thirty seconds from the kick-off fly half Mike Wilcox stunned the visitors with a classy drop goal.

Bournemouth were not too dismayed with this early reversal and soon dropped into a good rhythm with their big forwards dominating the loose. Their gigantic second row stalwarts Tim Collier and Will Brooks were masterful in the lie-out and Pats were soon struggling in all aspects of the tight and set piece plays. With the advantage of the slope Pats managed to get a fair share of the ball but their kickers were profligate in the aerial ping-pong and gave Bournemouth every chance to counter from deep.

Bournemouth full-back Karim Lynch was the grateful recipient of most of the Pats miscued kicks for touch or territory and kept his forwards on the front foot with his educated boot. His one error of judgement was a sliced kick down the throat of Barney Pascall which gave the centre the room he could not get from his half backs and he set off on a magical weaving run from behind the 22. He matadored through the defence and offloaded to prop James King who went over for a great try.

Pats still looked uncomfortable at the restart with key players uncharacteristically making mistakes in contact and Bournemouth remained keener and quicker at the breakdown. Pats stand-in captain Rob Fidler won crucial ball in a penalty line-out and from the catch and drive winger Chris Howell took the blind side route for a try in the right hand corner. Webber was having a bad day with the boot and badly scuffed his second conversion attempt.

Pats were two scores in front but they were still struggling to hold on to their line-out feeds and even worse, were now being wheeled off their own scrum ball and Bournemouth with loads of turnovers were confident they could take a prized scalp.

Bournemouth winger Mike Pope hit the uprights with a Pope eagerly took his second chance to claim the first score for the seasiders. Pats led by thirteen points to three at the break but the war drums were stirring in the Bournemouth camp.

Pats had started the afternoon dreaming of a bonus point but Bournemouth had other ideas with fly half Ngapaku running the show down the slope with deft distribution and shrewd probing kicks. Winger Rory Hearson rounded off a sweeping move in the right corner and Pope landed a superb touch-line conversion and Bournemouth were only three points adrift. Pats were frantic to hold on to the lead but their scrummaging was being regularly ruptured and still their kickers were failing to find touch from their meagre scrambled possession.

Bournemouth deservedly took the lead with a breakaway dart from replacement Ben Stewart but with fifteen minutes remaining Pats at last came alive. Their replacements were key to their revival and when they mounted a series of pick and drives into the red zone Collier dived into the ruck to stop the try and was ordered to the sin bin for his troubles.

Awarded the penalty Webber at last managed to get the ball off the ground and over the bar and between the posts and Pats had retaken the lead.

Bournemouth pulled out all the stops in the dying minutes but Wilcox had saved his best for last with three tremendous clearance kicks under extreme pressure and Pats had escaped to victory by the narrowest of margins.

By Bob Ellis

Man of the match – Heath Gunter