WOW! WHAT A WIN

HAS there ever been a more dramatic final play in the history of the Guernsey RFC?
The 80 minutes are up, it’s the final play of the game and we are losing.
But one try will do it.
Forty-odd phases later, Layton Batiste bulldozes in and the win’s achieved. It hardly matters not whether Malcolm Barnes sinks the conversion or not, as there is no time left, but to cap his 100th game for the club he does nevertheless.
Wow, what a game and the win takes Raiders back into second place behind new leaders Hertford.

But back to that most dramatic of finishes where a masterclass of pick and goes set it up.
With the clock running out any mistake would have brought the game to an end and give Barnes the win.
As it was they had just gone ahead, a long-range kick putting them 16-15 up with five minutes left.
Raiders were destined for the proverbial kick in the teeth, but they just would not give up as the forwards and backs heroically combined to produce over 40 phases of play whilst the home team tackled like men possessed until, finally, Layton Batiste, with a three man overlap, drove his way over the line carrying three Barnes players with him.

Eighty or so minutes earlier the game had started badly for us.
Raiders gave away three penalties in a row within five minutes of the start and with the last of those close to the posts Barnes moved into a 3-0 lead.
But Raiders soon found their stride and forced their way into the home side's territory time and time again.
Only the superb defence of the home team stopped Raiders from scoring time and time again.
But with now Barnes giving away penalties of their own Raiders kicked to the corner for a catch and drive move where Nick Merrien then forced his way over for the line. The try was converted by Sam Whitehead.
The game continue in the same vein with Raiders on the attack and Barnes defending well.
Most of the time the home side relieved the pressure with box kicks, but that just gave the ball straight back to Raiders to attack again and again.
However, Barnes eventually forced Raiders to concede a penalty on 30 mins which they duly slotted over to make the score 6-7 at the break.

In the second period, Raiders continued as they had left off, battering away at the Barnes defence who were camped in their own 22.
With just 5 mins gone Raiders attacked and with the try line beckoning two metres away and with an overlap option the Barnes centre took a chance and went for the interception.
To the Raiders’ collective dismay he clung onto the ball and left everyone for dead as ran the length of the pitch for a converted try under the posts.
That made it 13-7.

Raiders did not panic.
Within 10 mins they had forced the home side into giving away another penalty in front of the posts.
To our horror, though, Sam Whitehead slipped as he attempted the easy kick, forcing the ball wide.
Undeterred, Raiders continued to batter away at the Barnes defence with so much possession of the ball that 75% would not be overstating Guernsey’s dominance.
It had to be rewarded and finally it was,
Luke Sayer found a bit of space and glided over in the corner against his old club for a well deserved try, but Whitehead missed a hard conversion and we were still 13-12 adrift.
However, we were soon ahead, Barnes infringing and this time Sam Whitehead slotted home the penalty for a 15-13 lead.
It was getting ever-more nervy and with five minutes left with one of their very few forays into the visitors’ half Barnes forced a penalty which was kicked from all of 40 yards for a 16-15 lead.
With time running out Barnes had the ball and just needed to run down the clock.
But they chose to kick away their possession and Sayer picked up the ball, running back only to be tackled around the head on the halfway line. Penalty.
Raiders made their last throw of the dice with a kick to the Barnes 40, after winning the line out their sublime control of the ball resulted in the winning try of the game.
Barnes’ defence was immense throughout the game, as was Raiders’ control of the ball under pressure to score.
Both sides left it all on the pitch for what was an absolute cracking game.