Hampshire Counties rugby: New Milton lose tense battle at Bognor
Hampshire Counties Division 2
Bognor 12
New Milton 0
New Milton travelled to Bognor for a match against the second-placed team in the league.
It was a tense affair, with both sides making breaks, but Bognor scoring two tries to go to the top of league by one point from New Milton.
In the initial stages, most of the play took part in the middle of the pitch. Milton's pack was put under pressure but gradually they were able get their ball back and out to the backs.
A penalty award to Milton gave them possession, creating pressure in the Bognor 22. After series of scrums and lineouts Bognor passed the ball out to their backs, Jack Corbett breaking through with a intercept and heading for the line until offside was called.
New Milton's forwards were working well in the lineouts and controlled the scrums, and the team worked well to stop the Bognor breaks. The home side's backs also demonstrated their danger as Christian Brown made it to the Bognor 22 before being stopped.
A penalty against Milton produced a yellow card, and after defending a scrum on their five-metre line, another penalty to Bognor was quickly taken and passed out to the their backs who used the extra man to touch down in the corner; half time score: 5-0.
In the second half, after a series of penalties against both sides, Milton gained possession and a lineout in the Bognor 22. This was followed by a Bognor lineout on their five-metre line which was passed out of control into the Bognor in-goal area. Milton's backs were quickly onto the loose ball and arms were raised, but the referee indicated a knock-on.
Penalties against Milton gave Bognor a lineout just out from the away side's tryline, and the defence was finally broken to score a converted try.
New Milton's man of the match was Tom Gould who, after his brace last week on the wing, was part of and effective Milton pack.
New Milton: T Gould, A Wignall, H Chung, O Woodhouse, J Corbett, R Richardson, J Payne, J Lines, A Lavis, C Brown, C Conacher, L Waugh, C Jewiss, J Eldridge, D Thomas, B Steers, Z Smith.
