Sat 9 Mar 2024
Aylesford Bulls produced a comprehensive first half display to keep Westcombe Park at bay, despite spending half the match reduced to 14 men.
The rearranged fixture, delayed by a week after heavy rain, was played on a fast pitch at third-place Park’s Orpington ground.
Sustained pressure saw Chester Clough get Bulls off the ground with a straightforward three points before Barnaby Brown outpaced the opposition backline and pounced on the end of a loose ball to make the score 0-8 with 15 minutes played.
Bulls, reduced to 14 men first when Jordan O’Leary entered a ruck illegally and then when Paul Cooper was judged to have strayed offside, were putting some great phases together against a physical home side, with prop Josh Olugbodi eventually scything over courtesy of a Harry Sievewright offload.
Sievewright would experience a rollercoaster of an afternoon, adding a second assist after half time only to be sent to the bin as the unfortunate recipient of a team yellow card shortly after.
But before the first half was done there was time for Ben Ashdown to turn on the burners and dot down out wide.
A Westcombe Park try took the gloss off a fantastic all-round display to bring the half time score to 5-20.
The second period started in similar fashion to the first; sustained Bulls pressure allowing the ever-industrious Luke Stroud to turn the ball over and feed Sievewright whose audacious grubber set up Brown for his second and secured a bonus point for the visitors.
But Bulls have a habit of turning certain victories into tight contests. The penalty count, which by full time sat at 23, began to climb and Sievewright became Bulls’ third victim of the referee’s whistle.
Westcombe Park for their part were beginning to turn pressure into points and make the most of their physically imposing pack, burrowing over the line again and again until they were within a point of Bulls.
The vanishing gap seemed to finally awaken Bulls who began trundling up the pitch culminating in a penalty which allowed flanker Matt Hill to dive over out wide.
With the try unconverted Bulls still were in danger and the hosts were all too happy to extend the visiting supporters suffering, soon back within metres of the line and knocking on the door.
A phenomenal defensive display, which saw Clough become the fourth Bull sent to the bin, eventually resulted in the ball being held up under the posts with just minutes left on the clock. The resultant kick and stern midfield defence closed the game out and earned a much-deserved 24-30 victory.
Bulls welcome Dartford Valley this Saturday. Kick off 3pm.
Sievewright would experience a rollercoaster of an afternoon, adding a second assist after half time only to be sent to the bin as the unfortunate recipient of a team yellow card shortly after.
But before the first half was done there was time for Ben Ashdown to turn on the burners and dot down out wide.
A Westcombe Park try took the gloss off a fantastic all-round display to bring the half time score to 5-20.
The second period started in similar fashion to the first; sustained Bulls pressure allowing the ever-industrious Luke Stroud to turn the ball over and feed Sievewright whose audacious grubber set up Brown for his second and secured a bonus point for the visitors.
But Bulls have a habit of turning certain victories into tight contests. The penalty count, which by full time sat at 23, began to climb and Sievewright became Bulls’ third victim of the referee’s whistle.
Westcombe Park for their part were beginning to turn pressure into points and make the most of their physically imposing pack, burrowing over the line again and again until they were within a point of Bulls.
The vanishing gap seemed to finally awaken Bulls who began trundling up the pitch culminating in a penalty which allowed flanker Matt Hill to dive over out wide.
With the try unconverted Bulls still were in danger and the hosts were all too happy to extend the visiting supporters suffering, soon back within metres of the line and knocking on the door.
A phenomenal defensive display, which saw Clough become the fourth Bull sent to the bin, eventually resulted in the ball being held up under the posts with just minutes left on the clock. The resultant kick and stern midfield defence closed the game out and earned a much-deserved 24-30 victory.
Bulls welcome Dartford Valley this Saturday. Kick off 3pm.
