Sat 6 Apr 2024, 15:00
Coaches review from Jon Alderton
Last game of the season wasn’t the fairy tale we thought it would be, great to have a packed club house with 3 home games. Disappointing not to have the wins in the seniors but that doesn’t reflect the positive season we’ve had. The whole coaching staff are immensely proud of the wider group and the efforts they’ve put in this season. Very much a building season and we’re already eager to get cracking next year. Thanks for your continued support all.
Last game of the season wasn’t the fairy tale we thought it would be, great to have a packed club house with 3 home games. Disappointing not to have the wins in the seniors but that doesn’t reflect the positive season we’ve had. The whole coaching staff are immensely proud of the wider group and the efforts they’ve put in this season. Very much a building season and we’re already eager to get cracking next year. Thanks for your continued support all.
Aylesford Bulls closed off their season with a fiercely competitive match against a typically physical Gillingham Anchorians.
Bulls, guaranteed fifth in Counties 2 regardless of the result, were playing for pride in front of a heaving home crowd at the Jack Williams Ground while a win for relegation-threatened Anchs was crucial.
To avoid the drop Anchs would need to get at least two points from the fixture and hope 10th-place Maidstone – two points ahead of them heading into the game – came a cropper against Medway.
For large spells of the afternoon it looked like it might be a scenario out of Anchs' reach, with Bulls piling on pressure and pulling ahead by 12 points.
But to their credit they weathered the storm and came out for the second period firing on all cylinders, closing the gap to just two points in the final quarter before pulling ahead in the dying moments to secure a well-deserved 22-27 victory and a place in the league next season.
Anchs had initially taken the lead thanks to a penalty before Bulls centre Luke Stroud gathered a loose ball to score a bizarre try under the posts. Fin Ashdown-Denney added the extras
Anchs scored a converted try of their own before Ed McConnell burrowed over following a powerful Matt Hill run to put Bulls 12-10 in front at the break.
For the first 20 minutes of the second half Bulls took control of the game and pulled further ahead first through Josh Mayhew, whose twisting drive over the line came after a stunning back-door offload from fly half George Forster, and then courtesy of Ben Ashdown, whose jinking finish was preceded by a powerful Mayhew break.
But Anchs were not about to go down without a fight and rallied late on scoring three tries in 15 minutes to snatch victory.
Bulls, guaranteed fifth in Counties 2 regardless of the result, were playing for pride in front of a heaving home crowd at the Jack Williams Ground while a win for relegation-threatened Anchs was crucial.
To avoid the drop Anchs would need to get at least two points from the fixture and hope 10th-place Maidstone – two points ahead of them heading into the game – came a cropper against Medway.
For large spells of the afternoon it looked like it might be a scenario out of Anchs' reach, with Bulls piling on pressure and pulling ahead by 12 points.
But to their credit they weathered the storm and came out for the second period firing on all cylinders, closing the gap to just two points in the final quarter before pulling ahead in the dying moments to secure a well-deserved 22-27 victory and a place in the league next season.
Anchs had initially taken the lead thanks to a penalty before Bulls centre Luke Stroud gathered a loose ball to score a bizarre try under the posts. Fin Ashdown-Denney added the extras
Anchs scored a converted try of their own before Ed McConnell burrowed over following a powerful Matt Hill run to put Bulls 12-10 in front at the break.
For the first 20 minutes of the second half Bulls took control of the game and pulled further ahead first through Josh Mayhew, whose twisting drive over the line came after a stunning back-door offload from fly half George Forster, and then courtesy of Ben Ashdown, whose jinking finish was preceded by a powerful Mayhew break.
But Anchs were not about to go down without a fight and rallied late on scoring three tries in 15 minutes to snatch victory.
