Gravesend 20-13 Bury St Edmunds

With many of last season’s regulars in the team accompanied by a smattering of new faces Gs were facing an eastern counties side that finished in seventh place in the league to which Gravesend were newly promoted this season.

The first half saw some poor kicking exchanges go in favour of Bury St Edmunds, as time and again Gs failed to find touch. These were the gifts the visitors were looking for and with a fairly sharp set of backs were quick to take advantage of these errors.

Big games from the Gs front row of Cutting, Klus and Forsyth, supported by the rest of the pack, helped to win Gs an even share of the possession while Sox Stevens was on song throughout the afternoon, in defence and with ball in hand going forward.

An baptism of fire for Montgomery, Bacon, Forbes and Hill, but all equited themselves well and will be an asset for the club, going forward

By the end of the first quarter George Montgomery had put Gs on the score sheet with a well struck penalty, but this had been countered with a try out wide on the right as quick hands made the overlap for Josh Borley to touch down. Full back Tristan Rawcliffe missed the first of many chances from the boot during the afternoon.

The penalty count was rising for both sets of players, but it was Montgomery who after missing one, slotted his next between the posts for 6-5.

More misses from Rawcliffe as the forwards battle up front kept stopping for transgressions, but then a success put Bury in front from the tee for 6-8.

With three minutes of the half remaining the visiting open-side flanker was yellow carded for a late tackle.

Well won ball from a set piece just outside the home twenty-two saw a miss pass move which Temi Okenla had come off his wing for, hit the hand of this flyer, who proceeded to cut through the opposition defence to reach the visitors twenty-two.

Swift passing and backing up on the outside saw the ball go the full-back Gary Gray who forced himself down over the line. Montgomery’s conversion lifted the difference to 13-8 at the interval.

Well matched packs saw their struggle continue throughout the second half, and it is not often that we have seen a Gravesend pack pushed backwards, but we did in this game.

In a tight game like this one, possession is king and when you had it you had to make the most of it, and Bury got full marks for trying as they camped on Gs line but took ten minute before they gained any score.

Superb defensive play from the home pack kept the visitors out for long periods, but the line finally cracked when a quick ball was moved wide speedily for Buy’s second try of the day, that brought the scores level.

Play was moving sideways in the middle of the park with neither XV making any inroads, and on seventy-three minutes Montgomery’s attempt to break the deadlock with a dropped kick just went wide.

From the kick-out, Gs were back in possession and took the play to near the visitor’s line. A series of line-outs, scrums and penalties saw Gravesend pressure the Bury line.

Three times held up over the line, twice denied a pushover try as players infringed to give away the penalty, but this happened once too often for referee Mr MacNearney and he didn’t hesitate in awarding the penalty try. Montgomery converted for a 20-13 score-line at the final whistle.