Old Patesians vs Coney Hill

Old Patesians – 24
Coney Hill – 19

Referee – Bob McCrudden

Old Patesians finished their National Three South West campaign with a narrow victory over Coney Hill at Everest Road.

Pats are set to travel to Old Albanians next weekend for their vital play off for promotion to National League Two and chose to rest most of their first team for the clash. Only prop Connor Thompson, winger Stu Taylor and Centre Steve Bryant made a start from the team that had taken the scalp of Taunton last Saturday but the club has enviable strength in depth and every player lined up against Coney Hill had first team experience.

Coney Hill have also had a very good season under their head coach, former Pats stalwart and coach Paul Morris and at kick-off were in a very respectable 7th place in the league. Pats won the toss and elected to play up the slope on a day that was dry and bright and a large band of supporters from both sides ignored the lure of the racing extravaganza from Aintree to watch this contest.

Pats had the best of the early exchanges with turnovers in the scrum and line-out which gave fly-half James Markey enough time and space to release winger Chris Howell for a try in the top left hand corner. Markey was on target with the conversion and Coney Hill were going through a bad patch.

Rory Baker, their gifted fly-half and normally reliable kicker missed a sitter of a penalty goal chance and then their line-out was spoiled by a crooked through. From he turnover scrum Pats centres Ben Davies and Bryant bashed a hole in the midfield which allowed Howell to run in unopposed for his second try between the uprights. Markey badly scuffed the conversion attempt but this was a wake up call for Coney Hill.

From the restart they stormed down the slope and set up camp deep in the left hand corner and Pats buckled momentarily under the pressure. Hill were pumped up to make something of their attacking field position on the Pats five metre line but they were confused by superb defence. Hill tried everything to find a way through with centres Craig Overthrow and Sean Felice so confident with ball in hand rocked back from crossing the gain line with crunching tackles. It was well into the second quarter when the Pats defence was finally breached and Coney Hill had their just rewards. Their forwards created two good tries for scrum half Michael Hagan and their robust Number Eight Stuart Carroll. Baker had recovered his composure and converted both tries and Coney Hill deservedly led by 14 points to 12 at the break.

After the interval Pats pinched a Coney Hill line-out and scrum-half Darren Moore punished the visitors with a bombing box kick. Pats chasers set up a drive and when the ball was released Taylor came from deep and then his offload gave Howell his hat-trick try. Pats scored again when another Moore box kick bounced fortuitously into the midriff of the charging Taylor who waltzed spectacularly through a series of ineffective tackles for a great try between the posts. Markey converted and Pats seemed to be in control with another bonus point in the bag.

Coney Hill had other ideas and hit back with snap and venom and only last ditch, last man try saving tackles by Bryant and Matt Hurdle stopped them from recovering the lead. As the players tired and lost the concentration the referee, Bob McCrudden adjudicating his last game at this level had to keep control particularly at the breakdown and tackle areas.

Coney Hill never gave up and Carroll who had enjoyed a huge game went over for his second try but Pats, although stretched had pulled off a hugely morale boosting win with, in effect, their second team squad.

By Bob Ellis

Man of the match – Ben Davies