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Braintree U15s through to Essex cup final
mark olley6 Mar 2011 - 16:52
Upper Clapton 19 Braintree 21
Braintree U15s went away to Upper Clapton in the knowledge that victory in the Essex cup semi-final would see them progress to the final for the 2nd year in a row.
Manager Eric Payne had decreed an 08:45 meet and we arrived at Upper Clapton a tad early at 09:30.
Braintree were keen to avenge the league defeat earlier in the season but the game started with Braintree forwards struggling to gain any possession and this enabled Upper Clapton quickly run in 2 converted tries.
Matt Panton went off injured and was replaced by Darius V- Clarke. Maybe it was the team talk underneath the posts after the 2nd try but Braintree came out with new enthusiasm and aggression; competing for every ruck and maul and started to win scrums against the head; from a breakdown in play the ball was quickly recycled by the Braintree pack and the ball fed out to the backs, after a number of phases Braintree were camped out on the Upper Clapton 5 metre line, wave after wave of Braintree possession was repelled by the opposition illegally and after the 4th penalty infringement the referee lost his patience and awarded a penalty try to Braintree and sin binned the opposition number 12. Sam Gilham converted the try.
Braintree went into half-time knowing that they had been dominated for most of the 1st half but a good performance in the last 1/3 had been rewarded.
The 2nd half started as the 1st half ended with Braintree piling on the pressure; an inside pass by Dan Olley saw fullback David Watts power up-field and score under the posts, Sam Gilham again converted; shortly after David Watts had a try disallowed but the impetus was still Braintree.
Braintree were rewarded with their 3rd try when David Watts inside his own half seeing that the opposition full back and both wingers out of position, kicked and chased and with only the number 8 to overtake scored under the posts, again Sam Gilham converted.
The score was now 21-14 and Upper Clapton regained the offensive and scored the best try of the game when from a move inside their 22 the ball was moved up the middle of the field, then to the left before a try was scored in the far right-hand corner, a difficult conversion was missed.
Yet again Braintree were winning a game by 2 points with 5 minutes to go; a difficult penalty kick from 40 metres was missed and good position 5 metre’s from the opposition’s try line was wasted by pushing too early in the scrum. An Upper Clapton attack saw them near our 22 but the referee blew for full time thus saving the writer a heart attack.
Once again Braintree came away with a tight win, all credit must go to the Upper Clapton players, coaches and supporters who took the defeat well and fully entertained the Braintree team and supporters in the bar after the game.
To the credit of the lads and their parent’s they were complimented for their behaviour both on and off the pitch.
We await either Rochford or Westcliff in the final.
Manager Eric Payne had decreed an 08:45 meet and we arrived at Upper Clapton a tad early at 09:30.
Braintree were keen to avenge the league defeat earlier in the season but the game started with Braintree forwards struggling to gain any possession and this enabled Upper Clapton quickly run in 2 converted tries.
Matt Panton went off injured and was replaced by Darius V- Clarke. Maybe it was the team talk underneath the posts after the 2nd try but Braintree came out with new enthusiasm and aggression; competing for every ruck and maul and started to win scrums against the head; from a breakdown in play the ball was quickly recycled by the Braintree pack and the ball fed out to the backs, after a number of phases Braintree were camped out on the Upper Clapton 5 metre line, wave after wave of Braintree possession was repelled by the opposition illegally and after the 4th penalty infringement the referee lost his patience and awarded a penalty try to Braintree and sin binned the opposition number 12. Sam Gilham converted the try.
Braintree went into half-time knowing that they had been dominated for most of the 1st half but a good performance in the last 1/3 had been rewarded.
The 2nd half started as the 1st half ended with Braintree piling on the pressure; an inside pass by Dan Olley saw fullback David Watts power up-field and score under the posts, Sam Gilham again converted; shortly after David Watts had a try disallowed but the impetus was still Braintree.
Braintree were rewarded with their 3rd try when David Watts inside his own half seeing that the opposition full back and both wingers out of position, kicked and chased and with only the number 8 to overtake scored under the posts, again Sam Gilham converted.
The score was now 21-14 and Upper Clapton regained the offensive and scored the best try of the game when from a move inside their 22 the ball was moved up the middle of the field, then to the left before a try was scored in the far right-hand corner, a difficult conversion was missed.
Yet again Braintree were winning a game by 2 points with 5 minutes to go; a difficult penalty kick from 40 metres was missed and good position 5 metre’s from the opposition’s try line was wasted by pushing too early in the scrum. An Upper Clapton attack saw them near our 22 but the referee blew for full time thus saving the writer a heart attack.
Once again Braintree came away with a tight win, all credit must go to the Upper Clapton players, coaches and supporters who took the defeat well and fully entertained the Braintree team and supporters in the bar after the game.
To the credit of the lads and their parent’s they were complimented for their behaviour both on and off the pitch.
We await either Rochford or Westcliff in the final.
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