Hastings and Bexhill 2nd team started the new year with what was expected to be a hard contest against an East Grinsted side that ran 50 points past them a few weeks previous, it was time for H&B to front up and extract some revenge at home!
The team turned up with a sense of deja vu in the air, where without a front row the visiting side were gifted 10 points before the kick off (exactly the same as when the 2 sides met previously). However the game couldn't have been more different.
From the kick off H&B applied the pressure in attack as well as defense, forcing their way into the oppostions 22 and camping there until a slicing run by Antony Barber had East grinstead diving at shadows as he dived in under the posts.
From the restart H&B kept the pressure on with clever tactical kicking forcing the opposition deep into there own half, made harder by comitted chasing. East Grinstead found it hard to deal with a well drilled side who continued to get into their faes and putting in the big hits, allowing them little time to get the ball out wide and find any potential spaces for an attack. All the pressure led to more points for H&B, firstly a penalty converted by Dave Milham Then a barrage of attacks on the try line which saw Steve Mcmanus cross for H&Bs Second try (converted by Milham) to put them 5 points ahead at half time.
The second half started with both teams struggling with the decreasing conditions. A well worked move by Grinstead saw them finish a well worked try in the corner, the only points in an uneventful second half. H&B deserved the win but showed great heart and determination to redeem the 10 point gift to finish the match with a 15-15 draw.
Squad: O'Conner, Upton, Sewell, R. Mcmanus, Edworthy, Barber, Pearce, S. Mcmanus, Hollingsworth, Milham, Flook, Enles, Woolcott, Smith, Stokes(c)
