RAIDERS BACK ON TOP SPOT

TRING came in their dozens to see their classy side win again and douse the title ambitions of little old Guernsey.
But ultimately Tring’s 18 players and their big band of supporters who did Guernsey sport’s cause for more acknowledgement of the island’s underplayed role in bringing tourists to the island, left with little more than some memories of St Peter Port hostelries and restaurants and ample proof that they do have another major contender for the London and South East Premier title.

A tense 19-13 win over third-placed Tring, many pundits’ favourites for the title, again highlighted the strength of Jordan Reynolds side.
After all, with this latest win, Raiders once again sit on top of the table, helped into top spot by the fact that Hereford’s game at Westcliff was postponed.
However, our always hard to satisfy Guernsey coach still wasn't pleased with every aspect of his team’s display.
‘I thought we played some good rugby but the thing that affected us was the mistakes we were making, like turnover ball in our own 22 and not kicking it out when we should and keeping it in play,’ he said later.
But beneath the beard he - surely - must have been happy, after all Raiders had won by three tries to one, two of them coming in the first half as they led 12-6 at the break.
The home side were down to 14 men for the final 10 minutes and it was during that period that Tring side scored in the final move of the match.
‘They were a good side and if we hadn’t been on our defensive best we’d have leaked a few more tries,’ added the coach who had seen a crowd in excess of 700 watched the tightest of games between two well matched sides.
There was nothing flash about Tring who came into the game with an identical record as the Raiders, but the sum of their parts was impressive.
Raiders, though, had the power and the passion, which ultimately won them the game.
Two great defences ensured that this would be no try-fest and after early sparring Tring took a 14th minute lead courtesy of a close range Newton penalty.
But Raiders were behind for just eight minutes, Anthony Armstrong powering over in the Hockey Clubhouse corner after the ball passed through several sets of hands as play swung from right to left close to the visitors’ line.
Owen Thomas missed the conversion but he soon got another opportunity, prop Sam Steventon stretching over for a score which was converted by the Guernsey No. 10.
There were times that the Raiders had to defend for their lives, so it was painful to all Raiders fans to see them waste that work by conceding two soft penalties, both popped over by Tom Newton.
It was clear for all to see that Raiders had the pack power to hurt the visitors, but there was impressive organisation and guile about the men in black who pegged the lead back to six as Newton sank another three points from in front of the posts.
Raiders led 12-6 at the break but you knew that Tring would come back hard and they did just that after the break when they were dominant in the early stages and for a brief moment they thought the had scored as winger Jake Olley darted in to score in the Hockey Clubhouse corner.
To Raiders’ relief the final pass was judged forward and Raiders escaped.

It was a long while before Raiders got anything going in the attacking sense and Raiders rang the changes, freshening up the pack as Dale Martin came on for Robin Le Cocq, Cameron Craine for Sam Steventon,
Midway through the half Armstrong produced one of his now trademark long-legged breaks and but for the defensive cover of the visiting full back he would have scored a superb individual try.

With 18 minutes left Raiders won back-to-back scrums close to the corner and this time the ball stayed in control of the rolling pack sufficiently long for Hill to fall over the whitewash to score.
It was a big moment and Thomas made it even more special by kicking the conversion from way out on the right for a 19-6 lead.
Tring refused to buckle though and, instead, came back in a salvage attempt which deserved the losing bonus point they picked up with that stoppage time try which looked likely from the moment Merrien received a yellow just inside the final 10 minute mark.
Raiders were superb though in their defiant resistance and the game had been won by the time the visitors got their try.

TEAMS
Raiders: Steventon, Ceillam, Batiste, Hillier, Merrien, Hill, Le Cocq, Horrocks; Barnes, Thomas, Armstrong, Campbell, N. Brown, Jones, Whitehead.
Replacements: Craine, Martin and K. Brown.

Tring: Hayes, Morgan, Flanagan, Green, March, Nicholson-Potter, McCartney, Stevens, Wood, Newton, Barnes, Jarvis, Andrews, Olley, Criddle.
Replacements: J. Brown, Richardson, Thorogood.

It’s now heads down again for preparation for our final game of 2017, away to Sutton & Epsom this weekend.
It won’t be easy as Giles Willis, the Tring coach, pointed out, ‘there are no easy games in this league’.
Sadly, our Ladies suffered a big defeat away to in-form Guildford Gazelles.
More of that later.