REYNOLDS UPBEAT DESPITE MORE INJURY WOE

A STIRRING finish in the Footes Lane gloom earned Raiders another losing bonus point and, surely, it was the least we deserved.
Fair enough Luke Allen’s side won for the 11th time but it proved a very hard slog for the Hawks in front of another decent sized crowd at Footes Lane.
Hawks’ defensive excellence deservedly overcame a wonderfully gutsy 80min. performance and late flourish from the home side that produced two deserved tries and a welcome bonus point.
Hawks’ pack were second best for much of the match but two close-range scores, both converted, put them in control.
In each case Raiders were temporarily down to 14 men.
The Hawks had earlier earned a 3-0 interval lead.
The home side never gave up and with four fresh men injected into the pack they scored two late tries through the Batiste brothers, centre Jason and prop Layton.
By then the visitors were themselves down to 14 with Liam Goodison picking up a yellow after a clash with Raiders winger Daley Aremu.
Conditions were poor with a gale blowing across the ground throughout and combined with a wet ball it was not a day for the backs.
As the final whistle went both camps will have been satisfied, in Hawks’ case for a win that keeps them in the title race and Raiders who welcome every losing bonus point in a campaign which has been ravaged by injury.

Despite losing another fly half - this time Malcolm Barnes to a fractured eye socket which may require surgery in the UK - director of rugby Jordan Reynolds was happier than on most post-match occasions in this troubled, some might say jinxed, season.
‘I was really pleased with the performance the boys put in but once again losing another fly half did not help. That's six now and everyone can see we put in a huge amount of effort against one of the top sides,’ he said immediately after the whistle.
‘It was great to see the the bench get on this week and they made a huge difference for us this week.
‘We put the bench on and we get two tries. Fantastic.
‘The crazy thing was with the weather being what it is it was it was going to be a lot tighter and that helped us a lot.
‘It (the weather) was a great leveler for us and Henley might have been a lot better in dry conditions, but I thought our forward pack did really well and they out-played them today, which was a real positive for us.
‘Getting a point against these guys, we will take it.’
The trojan Douglas Horrocks also limped off but it was the injury to Barnes which occupied the coach’s mind mostly.
‘The funny thing is that I said up in the grandstand at the corporate lunch that we have gone through five fly halves and this position is becoming jinxed, but I added: “I'd better not tell Malcolm that.” Then he got injured.
‘That’s another one we've lost. It's a shame but it is what it is.

With the benefit of four fresh forwards in the last quarter - George Shannon, Save Tuimatanisaqa, Dave Anderson and Matt Creber - the home team kept probing for an opening.
A couple finally came and it was with the final play of the match that Layton Batiste rumbled over from close range after Elia Morisio kicked for the Les Ozouets corner to set up a catch and drive move.
Henley, who defended brilliantly all afternoon, survived the initial Raiders push but after a close range scrum Batiste joined his brother Jason on the scoresheet.
Only five minutes earlier Jason had gone over from close range himself.

TEAMS:
Raiders: Cameron Craine, Tom Ceillam, Layton Batiste, Lewis Hillier (capt.), Nick Merrien, Douglas Horrocks, Dom Rice, Matt Thomas; Owen Clemett, Malcolm Barnes, Elia Morisio, Luke Jones, Jason Batiste, Daley Aremu, Anthony Armstrong.
Replacements: Callum Gladstone, George Shannon, Save Tuimatanisaqa, Matt Creber, Dave Anderson.
Henley Hawks: Randle, Griffiths, Barnes, Andre, Wood, Giles, McDougall, Cook, Emery, Manning, Goodison, Albon, Lunnon (capt), Hall, Bradley
Replacements: Pieterson, Webb, Clarke, Primett, White, O’Neill.